Rep. Steube: No More Robocalls
WASHINGTON — U.S. Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fla.) and Addison McDowell (R-N.C.), alongside Senator Tedd Budd (R-N.C.), introduced today the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act. This bill would establish an interagency task force to investigate the influx of foreign robocalls and issue a report to Congress and the Trump administration on how best to eliminate the threat to vulnerable Americans.
“Seniors face constant and malicious robocalls on a daily basis,” said Rep. Steube. “These sophisticated attacks pose a major risk to the personal safety and financial security of the American people. Congress cannot ignore this threat any longer. That is why I am joining with Senator Budd and Representative McDowell to introduce the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act to protect vulnerable Americans from these manipulative ploys and scams.”
“Targeted robocall scams hit millions of Americans every month, trying to steal Social Security numbers, bank information – anything they can use to take advantage of folks,” said Rep. McDowell. “Many of these calls originate overseas. America needs to stay ahead of these scams, crack down on these robocallers, and protect people from bad actors no matter where they originate.”
The Foreign Robocall Elimination Act serves as the House companion to legislation introduced by Senator Ted Budd. It also has the support of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and USTelecom.
“Older Americans are disproportionately targeted by robocall scams, which often lead to financial loss, identity theft, and emotional distress. These calls not only exploit individuals but also erode trust in telecommunications systems and public institutions. The Foreign Robocall Elimination Act builds upon the TRACED Act and addresses this growing threat by convening a task force of government and private sector experts to develop actionable strategies for eliminating harmful foreign robocalls.” —Jennifer Jones, Vice President, Financial Security & Livable Communities, Government Affairs, AARP
“We applaud the bipartisan work of Rep. McDowell, Rep. Morrison, Rep. Steube, and Rep. Panetta to advance the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act. Their attention to and leadership on this issue demonstrate a deep commitment to protecting Americans from abuse of our communications networks.
“The fight against scams and illegal robocalls requires sustained collaboration across government, law enforcement, and industry. The communications industry, including our Industry Traceback Group, is in this fight, and we remains committed to continuing these joint efforts to protect our networks, hold bad actors accountable, and safeguard consumers nationwide.” —Josh Bercu, Senior Vice President of Policy at USTelecom and Executive Director of the Industry Traceback Group
Background: The Foreign Robocall Elimination Act establishes an interagency task force consisting of representatives from relevant federal agencies and the private sector. This task force will advise both Congress and the Trump administration on strategies to mitigate the risk of foreign robocalls to American citizens and interests. It also extends the Industry Traceback Group’s (ITG) renewal period by an additional two years along with additional powers to aggressively pursue illegal robocallers. Finally, it grants the FCC the new authority to penalize fraudulent providers that are in violation of the Robocall Mitigation Database.
Read the full bill text here.
