S. 151
Floor Speech
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Mr. THUNE. Madam President, pretty much every American has had to deal with illegal robocalls. How many times have you answered the phone only to discover it is an automated message saying that you have won a contest that you never entered or asking you to provide personal information like your bank account or Social Security number?
Illegal robocalls, I think we can all agree, are a major nuisance, and too often they are not just a nuisance. Scammers use these calls to successfully prey on vulnerable populations like elderly Americans who are sometimes less technologically savvy. Scammers target the kind of personal information that can be used to steal your money and your identity, and when scammers are successful, the consequences for their victims can be devastating.
Well, there are laws and fines in place right now to prevent scam artists from preying on Americans through the telephone. These measures have been insufficient. In many cases, robocall scammers simply build the current fines into the cost of doing business. On top of this, the Federal Communications Commission's enforcement efforts are hampered by a tight time window for pursuing violators.
That is why I introduced the legislation before us today, the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act, or the TRACED Act, along with my fellow Commerce Committee member, Senator Markey. The TRACED Act provides tools to discourage illegal robocalls, protect consumers, and crack down on offenders. It expands the window in which the FCC can pursue intentional scammers from 1 year to 3 years, and in years 2 and 3, increases the financial penalty for those individuals making robocalls from zero dollars to $10,000 per call to make it more difficult for robocallers just to figure fines into the cost of doing business.
It also requires telephone service providers to adopt new call verification technologies that would help prevent illegal robocalls from reaching consumers in the first place. And, importantly, it convenes a working group with representatives from the Department of Justice, the FCC, the Federal Trade Commission, the Department of Commerce, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, State attorneys general, and others to identify ways to criminally prosecute illegal robocalling.
Criminal prosecution of illegal robocalling can be challenging. Scammers are frequently based abroad and can quickly shut down shop before authorities have a chance to get to them, but we need to find ways to hold scammers criminally accountable. When scammers are successful, they can destroy people's lives, and they should face criminal prosecution for the damage they do.
I am very pleased that the TRACED Act has attracted a tremendous amount of support from Members of both parties. In fact, 84 Senators have signed on as cosponsors of this bill. I am especially grateful to Senator Markey for partnering with me on this legislation. I appreciate Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Cantwell for prioritizing this bill as they have assumed the reins at the Commerce Committee.
I am also very pleased that this bill has attracted tremendous support from State governments and industry and consumer groups. All 50 State attorneys general support this bill, and it has been embraced by the AARP, Verizon, AT&T, CTIA, USTelecom, NTCA, Consumer Reports, and a number of other organizations. It is also supported by all of the current Commissioners at the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.
I think we all know that the TRACED Act will not prevent all illegal robocalling. I think we can all agree it is a big step in the right direction. It will make life a lot more difficult for scam artists and help ensure that more scammers face punishment for their crimes. I am excited the full Senate is voting on this bill today, and I hope that the House will quickly take it up so that we can get this legislation to the President's desk.
Before I close, I would be remiss if I didn't quickly thank several staff members whose tireless efforts helped get us here today. In my office, I recognize and thank Alex Sachtjen and Nick Rossi. I am thankful for their dedication and expertise. I thank Dan Ball and Crystal Tully, who serve on Chairman Wicker's team at the Commerce Committee, Daniel Greene on Senator Markey's staff, and John Branscome and Shawn Bone on Ranking Member Cantwell's staff. This truly was a team effort. I am glad that we have an opportunity to do something that in a very big bipartisan way will start putting steps forward that will help prevent something that has become a scourge in the lives of so many Americans.
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Mr. THUNE. I appreciate the comments from the Senator from Massachusetts and also his great work on this. It has been a team effort and a great partnership. He and I--although in many cases we represent different parts of the country, we all represent constituents who care deeply about this issue and want to see their Congress do something about it.
I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member of the committee.
Madam President,
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