By AMY HARDER
Legislation making it a misdemeanor to scalp inauguration tickets failed Thursday when a gambit to win quick passage in the Senate fell short. The bill [PDF] was introduced in mid-November by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
The legislation would ban the sale of the 240,000 free tickets that members of Congress will allocate a few days before Jan. 20. The tickets were fetching high prices online through Web sites like eBay and StubHub, which have since worked out an agreement with Feinstein blocking any such sales.
Howard Gantman, staff director of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, pegged the legislation's failure on the time constraints of the lame-duck session. "We ran out of time to get it approved by both the House and Senate," he said.
Feinstein was hoping to "hotline" the bill through the Senate, getting it approved by unanimous consent. Gantman added that the senator plans to reintroduce the bill in the new Congress and seek expedited passage.
The bill has been modified to allow the Presidential Inaugural Committee to give tickets to people who donate money to help fund inaugural activities. While PICs of both parties have been doing this for years, Gantman noted that "what has not happened in previous inaugurals is the extent of ticket scalping at astronomical prices." This crucial difference, Gantman said, is why Feinstein wants the legislation passed.
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