WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator John Thune (R-SD), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today issued the following statement on the Federal Communications Commission’s newly adopted rules to combat call completion problems that disproportionately impact rural areas of the country:

“This is a welcome action for rural consumers and rural economies. I applaud Interim Chairwoman Clyburn’s leadership on this issue. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should build on today’s action, using new data to take swift and meaningful enforcement actions against those entities that are harming rural Americans by not completing telephone calls. In July, the Senate Commerce Committee approved a resolution (S.Res.157) calling on the FCC to aggressively pursue those that violate its rules, and I look forward to the full Senate approving this measure. I have also stressed repeatedly with FCC nominees Tom Wheeler and Michael O’Rielly the importance of tackling rural call completion, and both have made it clear that they will ensure the rules in this area are enforced.”

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