Congresswoman Bonamici, Senator Markey Lead Call to Limit Unwanted Debt Collection Robocalls

WASHINGTON, DC [11/17/15] – Today, Congresswomen Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) led a group of 41 Senate and House members in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to limit unwanted robocalls and texts to those with debt owed to or backed by the federal government. The recently passed budget bill potentially opens the door to unwanted robocalls and texts to the cell phones of student loan borrowers, mortgage borrowers, veterans and others with debt owed to or guaranteed by the federal government. In 1991 Congress passed the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the law that ensures that consumers should not be subject to intrusive and unsolicited calls from telemarketers.

A copy of the letter to the FCC can be found HERE.

“Student loan borrowers and others struggling to meet the commitments of a federal loan still deserve privacy and protections from harassment from debt collectors,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “That’s why I joined with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and Senator Ed Markey to call on the FCC to protect consumers from excessive calls or text messages.”

Senators signing the letter include Bill Nelson (D – Fla.), Robert Menendez (D – N.J.), Patrick Leahy (D – Vt.), Bernard Sanders (I – Vt.), Al Franken (D – Minn.), Elizabeth Warren (D – Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D – Minn.), Ron Wyden (D – Ore.), Richard Blumenthal (D – Conn.), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D – Ore.).

House members signing the letter include Frank Pallone Jr. (D – N.J.), Raúl M. Grijalva (D – Ariz.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D – D.C.), Betty McCollum (D – Minn.), Charles B. Rangel (D – N.Y.), Mark Pocan (D – Wis.), James P. McGovern (D – Mass.), Alan Grayson (D – Fla.), Mike Thompson (D – Calif.), Donald S. Beyer Jr. (D – Va.), Diana DeGette (D – Colo.), Paul D. Tonko (D – N.Y.), John Lewis (D – Ga.), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (D – Ga.), Chris Van Hollen (D – Md.), Suzan DelBene (D – Wash.), John Yarmuth (D – Ky.), Joe Courtney (D – Conn.), Jackie Speier (D – Calif.), Earl Blumenauer (D – Ore.), Doris Matsui (D – Calif.), Barbara Lee (D – Calif.), Donna F. Edwards (D – Md.), Sam Farr (D – Calif.), Michael M. Honda (D – Calif.), Mike Doyle (D – Pa.), Jan Schakowsky (D – Ill.), and Danny K. Davis (D – Ill.)