FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 2019
CONTACT – Mackenzie Lucas 1(202) 225-6572
Congressman Jeff Van Drew (NJ02) voted today to pass the TRACED Act, an anti-robocall bill that would crack down on robocall violations and enforcement. This bipartisan legislation, which requires phone companies to offer screening technologies to identify and block spam robocalls at no cost to customers, is a critical step toward ending the scourge of robocalls.
Robocall scams are at an all-time high and getting worse. One report estimates that the number of spam calls will grow from 30 percent of all phone calls in 2018 to 42 percent in 2019. Data shows that New Jersey residents reported 321,393 robocall complaints last year alone - more than any other state in the nation. Many of these scams take advantage of senior citizens and other vulnerable populations, and it is time we protect consumers by ensuring those who violate the law are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Earlier this year Congressman Van Drew introduced the Robocall Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2019 to crack down on abusive, annoying, and illegal robocalls. This piece of legislation provides the necessary tools for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to go after those who violate robocall and spoofing laws and it also lengthens the amount of time that the FCC can go after these transgressors. Parts of this bill are included in the TRACED Act.
As a New Jersey State Senator, Van Drew sponsored the original Do Not Call list for the state and fought to strengthen that list to limit the ability of robocallers to annoy and prey upon our citizens.
“Over the years, countless people throughout South Jersey have shared with me that they are constantly harassed by robocalls and scams,” said Representative Van Drew. “Members of Congress have a responsibility to hold scammers responsible for their abusive practices and protect the American people from this abuse. I am pleased to see portions of my own robocall bill, the “Stopping Bad Robocalls Act,” incorporated in the TRACED Act. While there is more work to be done, I am proud to be a part of this important effort to help protect consumers and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.”
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