A decision by the city council to extend the hours Washington bars and restaurants can serve alcohol for the week around Inauguration Day on Jan. 20 has stumbled into a wall of opposition from church leaders, police and top U.S. lawmakers.

In a letter to D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Council Chairman Vincent Gray, U.S. Senate Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin asked them to reconsider a decision to allow bars and restaurants to stay open all night and serve alcohol until 5 a.m. during the period Jan. 17-21.

Durbin, who served as co-chairman of President-elect Barack Obama’s campaign, said he shared the concerns of police and church groups worried that the extended drinking hours will invite alcohol-induced misbehavior and encourage drunk driving on clogged D.C. streets.

“We all share personal and professional interest in ensuring that President-elect Obama’s inauguration proceeds in a safe and dignified manner,” Durbin wrote.

D.C. officials are preparing for a record turnout for the inauguration, which will see Obama sworn in as the first black U.S. president.

Sens. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, and Robert Bennett, a Utah Republican, have also raised concerns about the extended bar hours.

Feinstein is the Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

Durbin heads the Senate Financial Services and General Government appropriations subcommittee, which oversees the District of Columbia budget.

 Photo credit: Reuters/Jason Reed (Construction work on viewing stand outside the White House)

(UPDATED to include legislation passage)

WASHINGTON - Unable to snag a hotel room for President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration? Fear not, bars will be open late so you might not need one.

The U.S. capital has a bit of a reputation for being an “early to bed” city full of government bureaucrats, but for a few days surrounding Obama’s Jan. 20 inauguration they could carouse a little bit later if they wanted to do so.

D.C. City Council member Jim Graham offered legislation that would enable restaurants, bars and other places that serve alcohol to do so until 5 a.m. between Jan. 17 and Jan. 21. That’s three hours longer than current rules allow for weekdays and two hours for weekends.

The legislation was approved after council members debated whether to also permit nightclubs to serve those extra hours amid concerns by Mayor Adrian Fenty. Nightclubs were ultimately included.

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- Photo credit: Reuters/Jason Reed (Construction workers begin building the reviewing stand for the 2009 inauguration of Obama.)