California Senator To Write eBay To Stop Sales Of Obama Inaugural Tickets

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Seeking to stop the scalping of tickets for the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is drafting a bill that would make selling inaugural tickets a federal crime. The lawmaker, who heads the congressional panel in charge of the swearing-in ceremony, is also writing to eBay to ensure that no tickets are sold on the sites.

Feinstein, chair of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCIC), is quoted by NPR on Tuesday as saying that she is "disturbed" that inaugural tickets are being sold on the Internet for as much as $40,000. The senator said she is working on legislation to that would criminalize selling tickets. Feinstein also said is writing to eBay, Craig's List and other sites to stop any tickets from being sold.

Exactly 240,000 tickets have been printed out by the (JCIC), all of which will be distributed for free by members of the next Congress. Demand has overwhelmed officials, especially those who just won the election and will officially take office in the when the 111th Congress begins next year.

Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) issued an announcement last week telling constituents, "Please do not call or e-mail this office. Because of the high demand for tickets, this office can no longer take names. We are in discussions with President-Elect Barack Obama's office and other officials on how to best accommodate the high demand. Check here for details in the future. Again, please do not call or e-mail our office concerning inauguration events."

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) has had to make changes to his official website in order to accommodate the volume of requests for tickets, according to the Chicago Tribune, while a spokesman for the Virginia Democratic Party has told the Daily Press, "Interest has been astronomical."

Obama will be sworn-in as the 44th U.S. president on Jan. 20, 2009 at the west front of the Capitol. His inaugural will also commemorate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth by having as its theme words from the the Gettysburg address, "A New Birth of Freedom."