[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 175 (Monday, November 17, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S10582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself and Mrs. Boxer):
  S. 3685. A bill to prohibit the selling and counterfeiting of tickets 
for a Presidential inaugural ceremony; to the Committee on Rules and 
Administration.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I come to the floor as chairman of the 
Rules Committee and as chairman of the Joint House-Senate Inaugural 
Committee. I come to introduce legislation to prohibit the selling and 
counterfeiting of tickets to the President's inauguration ceremony.
  The inauguration of the President of the United States is one of the 
most important rituals of our democracy, and the chance to witness this 
solemn event should not be bought and sold similar to tickets to a 
football game. This is not a football game. This is a dignified and 
critical moment of transition in Government, a moment of which 
Americans have always been proud because it is, in fact, the strength 
of our democracy--the fact that all across this great land people go to 
the polls and elect the next President of the United States, they don't 
take to the streets, they don't take to weapons. They elect the next 
President of the United States.
  We have all read the news reports: Tickets bid on the Internet for 
$5,000 apiece, some going as high as $40,000 each. Internet sites today 
are selling tickets they do not have and will not have unless somehow, 
some way they obtain them. I find it unconscionable.
  These tickets are supposed to be free for people, for the volunteers 
who gave up their weekends, walking miles door to door to encourage 
voters to turn out at the polls on election day, for Members of the 
African-American community to see one of their own take the oath of 
office, the highest office in the land, for schoolchildren to witness 
history, and for the American public to watch this affirmation of our 
Constitution, this peaceful transition from one administration to 
another.
  This is going to be a major civic event of our time. Excitement is at 
an all time high, and every one of us has received more phone calls for 
tickets than we could possibly ever meet. People are desperate to 
become part of it, to touch it, to be around, to feel it, to listen to 
it, and they are coming from all over the country. We could have more 
than 1.5 million people descend on the Nation's Capital for this 
inauguration.
  Congress has the responsibility of overseeing this historic event. So 
we must ensure that the inauguration has all the respect and dignity it 
deserves.
  These tickets are supposed to be free for the people. No one should 
have to pay for them. Once more, these tickets are not yet even 
available. They will not be distributed to congressional offices until 
the end of the week before the inauguration. And then the offices will 
require in-person pickup, with secure identification. But they will be 
free and they should stay that way.
  I can tell you what I am going to do. We will ask people to pick up 
their tickets the day before the inauguration in my office. Everyone 
will submit their name, their address, and their driver's license. They 
must be who they are if there are tickets waiting for them. I believe 
this kind of procedure essentially deters unscrupulous people from 
selling these tickets on the Internet. No Web sites or other ticket 
outlets have inaugural swearing-in tickets to sell, despite what some 
of them claim.
  This legislation is aimed at stopping those who seek to profit by 
selling these tickets. It would also target those who seek to dupe the 
public with fraudulent tickets or those who merely promise but can't 
deliver on tickets that they do not actually have.
  I want to say one thing. We are working now to see if there is any 
creative way we might be able to secure more tickets for the House and 
the Senate. We have followed protocol with exactly the same 
distribution system that existed in prior inaugurals, but it is clear 
that there are not as many tickets as there are requests.
  Those who violate the law under this legislation, if in fact it 
passes, would face a class A misdemeanor with a substantial fine, 
imprisonment up to 1 year, or both. I am also very pleased to tell you, 
Mr. President, that eBay and StubHub announced last week that they will 
not allow the sale of inaugural swearing-in tickets on any of their Web 
sites. I want to take this opportunity to thank them and to commend 
them for leading the way.
  It is my hope that Congress will pass this legislation this week. I 
hope my colleagues will join me in supporting it on a hotline. I think 
it is very important to establish once and for all that tickets to the 
inauguration of the next President of the United States are not issues 
of commerce, they are free tickets to be given to the people.
  So I hope that this week this legislation can pass unanimously by 
this body. I send it to the desk and thank the Chair.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The bill will be received and 
appropriately referred.
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