WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Subcommittee on Communications and Technology Republican Leader Bob Latta (R-OH) released the following statement on the passage of the Stopping Bad Robocalls Act through the Energy and Commerce Committee.
“Even in a divided Congress, it is our job to act and to solve problems on behalf of the American people. Nearly 50 billion illegal robocalls were placed last year. The truth is, these calls go well beyond annoying; illegal robocalls are a destructive scourge - scamming consumers and disrupting our health care system. The bill requires carriers to adopt a call-authentication tool and blocking service, both free of charge, so we can trust our caller ID again. Further, it gives some added teeth for the FCC, who will now get up to four years to catch illegal callers as well as authority to fine first time offenders. By ensuring calls are verified, giving the FCC new tools to crack down on bad actors, and empower consumers to take action against illegal robocallers. It’s about time," said Walden and Latta.
