By AMY HARDER
Legislation making it a misdemeanor to scalp inauguration tickets passed the Senate Tuesday night. The bill [PDF], sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., failed last month when a gambit to win quick passage in the Senate ran out of time.
Gil Duran, communications director for Feinstein, said she is now reaching out to the House to get quick passage there as well so that the bill could be signed into law by Barack Obama's inauguration. Acknowledging that it may be too late, Duran said the legislation "could have an effect on this inauguration, but it's also something that's necessary to protect the integrity of future inaugurals."
Duran said he was aware that inaugural parade tickets -- which sold out online in less than a minute on Friday -- are being scalped. He distinguished, however, between those tickets and passes for the swearing-in ceremony. The former are handled by the Presidential Inaugural Committee, a private entity, whereas the latter are managed by Congress.
By AMY HARDER
Legislation making it a misdemeanor to scalp inauguration tickets will be reintroduced this afternoon on the Senate floor. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D.-Calif., failed last month when a gambit to win quick passage in the Senate ran out of time.
Howard Gantman, staff director of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, acknowledged that while "time is limited," Feinstein will try to pass the legislation before the inauguration takes place. Feinstein, chairwoman of the Joint Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, tried to "hotline" the bill through the Senate -- getting it approved by a unanimous consent -- in December, as well.
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.
Gantman said the bill has been revised to allow official presidential inaugural committees to raise money "for the purpose of putting on the inaugural event itself." This includes funding for things like Jumbotrons and Port-A-Potties, he said. President-elect Barack Obama's official inaugural committee is holding a raffle to give away inauguration tickets (including airfare to Washington and hotel accommodations) to 10 people who donate at least $5.
Gantman said that while the bill was being revised, it came to the senator's attention that official inaugural committees in the past have often used raffle-like techniques to raise money. "There is a strong distinction between raising money to put on the actual event and scalping tickets," Gantman said.
NationalJournal.com obtained a copy of the original bill [PDF] and the revised one will be available once it's introduced later today.
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.
By AMY HARDER
Want to partake in the inauguration festivities but feel overwhelmed about planning everything? No need to worry. NationalJournal.com has scoured sites like eBay, craigslist and StubHub to devise an itinerary, prices included.
Getting Here
If you're coming from New York, a post on eBay has tickets going for $200. Watch yourself on the return trip, though: The ad says buses "Start Departing Washington" that evening on a "First Come Basis."
Getting Around Once You're Here
Enjoy the sights of the nation's capital from a Rolls-Royce Phantom. A craigslist poster is offering chauffeur services in this "exotic automobile" for $575 -- an hour.
Accommodations
As everyone already knows, nearly all the hotels are booked. This won't be a problem, though. Judging from online ads, it seems as though every resident in the greater D.C. area is seeking to rent a room or house to visitors. A one-week rental of a one-bedroom apartment in the Courthouse area of Arlington will set you back only $4,000. Feeling a little richer? Then rent out a four-bedroom house near American University for $20,000. Are you feeling substantially poorer and willing to sacrifice housing altogether? Someone is offering a "like new" folding guest bed for a very affordable $35. You could also seek out hotel reservations second-hand. Two-night accommodations at the Fairfield Marriott Inn on New York Ave. NE, via a post on eBay, start at $699. Or, you could shell out $1,999 right now to make sure you've got it.
Party, Party, Party
The large number of parties and galas scheduled for the week surrounding the inauguration will certainly be surpassed only by the number of people seeking to attend them. And you'll want to make sure you don't miss out. You could go to the New Jersey gala for $452. But why do that when you could attend President-elect Barack Obama's own Illinois gala for $1,495? Worried about not getting into these high-profile parties? A post on craigslist implies, more or less, that professional ID cards can be tailor-made to any event, including inauguration festivities. In case you do get rejected from these parties, an eBay post is offering a cruise around the Potomac to enjoy the inaugural fireworks. This would set you back at least $2,000, with no length of cruise specified.
The Golden Ticket
To be sure, we never specified that this itinerary included the actual inauguration tickets, which are under lock and key until just days before the event. So, if you happen to come across any legitimate tickets -- or find that key -- the staff at NationalJournal.com would sure like to know.
