January 14, 2009 11:19 AM

Senate Seeks To Stop Inaugural Tix Scalping

By
Kevin Hechtkopf
Topics
White House


The Senate last night voted to pass legislation making it illegal to resell or counterfeit tickets to Barack Obama's inauguration next week. Should the measure become law, inaugural ticket scalpers would face a fine and/or a year in prison.

(CBS)
The measure, which passed by a voice vote last night, was sponsored by Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., who is the chair of the committee overseeing the inauguration. The legislation failed the last time it was introduced in December.

Feinstein wrote the bill in response to reports that tickets being sold on Craigslist and other sites. They are fetching $500 or more online.

Politico's Ben Smith reports that a lot of the selling has come from the pool of 240,000 free inauguration tickets that are mostly given out by members of Congress to friends, donors or the public.

"I believe the scalping of inaugural tickets runs contrary to the spirit of this historic Inauguration," Feinstein told Politico.

It's not known at this point whether this ban will become law by Tuesday. The Associated Press reports that prospects that it will be taken up and passed by the House before Mr. Obama's swearing in are uncertain.

It also should be noted that there is an exceptions in the bill for tickets sold after the event (presumably as souvenirs) or tickets sold by directly by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
Click Here For All Of CBSNews.com's Special Inauguration Coverage

Add a Comment See all 14 Comments
by zatmat-2009 January 15, 2009 5:19 PM EST
44 Cent Obama Inauguration T-Shirt.

VintageCotton.com has an Obama Inauguration T-Shirt for a

special price of only 44 cents in honor of the inauguration of

the 44th president Barack Obama.

http://www.vintagecotton.com/shirt/obama_inauguration_t-shirt/m

ale
Reply to this comment
by specialty8 January 15, 2009 8:45 AM EST
I bet Blago is making a fotune selling his seats.
Reply to this comment
by enviro_wacko January 15, 2009 12:57 AM EST
Are these the same senators who want to use my money to bail out every jerk who ever screwed up anything? The same senators who want to give health insurance to the illegal kids of illegal immigrants?

Posted by taxed01 at 05:32 PM : Jan 14, 2009

See, conservatives really do hate children.
Reply to this comment
by taxed01 January 14, 2009 8:32 PM EST
Are these the same senators who want to use my money to bail out every jerk who ever screwed up anything? The same senators who want to give health insurance to the illegal kids of illegal immigrants?
Reply to this comment
by ericv2644 January 14, 2009 8:28 PM EST
The government has more to worry about than scalping of inaugural tickets, I hope this is not what we have to look forward too from this democratic congress. Stay focused on things such as the economy and the two wars and the war in Gaza many more important things than the scalping of tickets what about a stimulus package before the inauguration.
Reply to this comment
by questionnews January 14, 2009 8:20 PM EST
I thought the ticket scalping was part of his economic stimulus package.
First they make it tough to make an honest dollar & now they''re going to make it tough the dishonest dollar.
"It''s hard out here for a Pimp."
Reply to this comment
by omega40 January 14, 2009 6:12 PM EST
Feinstein wrote the bill in response to reports that tickets being sold on Craigslist and other sites. They are fetching $500 or more online

$500 dollars to stand in single digit temperatures with a poor view and garbled sound...No thanks, if I really want to see it I will watch it from the comfort of my own home in wide screen HDTV.
Reply to this comment
by ballpen1 January 14, 2009 5:18 PM EST
A law to regulate tickets for an inauguration. Who would have thought something like this to ever become necessary. The man is breaking all barriers. I''ll be there, although i have no ticket. I don''t care if i have to stand in Richmond because Washington is full...
Reply to this comment
by oleander8 January 14, 2009 5:16 PM EST
Doesn''t congress have better laws to pass right now? The inauguration is in 6 freakin'' days - how effective is this law supposed to be.
Reply to this comment
by enviro_wacko January 14, 2009 4:00 PM EST
How dare they! Senators and Congressmen must protect their turf... historically, only THEIR donors would be allowed to get the tickets. Not the highest bidder, but the largest contributor.

Posted by rogmed at 12:57 PM : Jan 14, 2009

Maybe YOUR representatives are corrupt in that fashion. My representative gave me two tickets just for the asking.
Reply to this comment
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