Anti-Spoofing Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2669, the ``Anti-Spoofing Act of 2015''.

I am honored to have authored this bill with Congressman Barton and Congressman Lance, and thank Amy Murphy and Ryan Farrell of their respective staffs for working so closely with mine-- particularly my former Legislative Director, Michael Fleischman, who first brought this problem to my attention.

This legislation seeks to combat ``spoofing'', which is when phone call recipients are tricked into answering the phone due to inaccurate caller ID information. Criminals have used this technique to scam thousands of Americans, and steal millions of dollars. Recent spoofing attempts have included scam artists pretending to be sheriff's offices, hospitals, and even the IRS. The bill before us this evening expands spoofing protections to calls that originate outside of the country, as well as text messages.

It is often stated that a measure of a society is how it treats its most vulnerable. Almost every day, I receive new reports of spoofing that harm the most vulnerable in my district, including immigrants, seniors, veterans, and those in need of help from law enforcement. That is why this legislation is endorsed by senior citizen, law enforcement, and consumer protection groups.

The ``Anti-Spoofing Act of 2015'' is a bipartisan bill. It passed the Energy and Commerce Committee by voice vote less than two months ago, and in the 113th Congress H.R. 3670, the ``Anti-Spoofing Act of 2014'' passed the House by voice vote under suspension of the rules. It is my hope that this bill will continue to be non-controversial, and that we will do everything in our power to combat telephone scams against our constituents.

In closing, I wish to thank Representatives Burgess and Schakowsky for their support this afternoon, as well as Energy and Commerce Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Pallone. Without their support, as well as the support of Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Walden and Ranking Member Eshoo, we would not be here today. I urge the Senate to quickly take up this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues in this Chamber to support it once more.

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