WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), author of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act that became law in 1991, commended the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for exploring solutions to unwanted robocalls and robotexts by creating and making available to callers a comprehensive database of reassigned telephone numbers. Phone numbers could be added to such a database when a user changes or relinquishes their phone number. This information could help consumers avoid robocalls and robotexts that a former user agreed to receive and help callers who want to comply with the law.
 
Sens. Thune and Markey provided the following joint statement on the FCC’s action:
 
“We applaud the FCC for exploring opportunities to reduce unwanted robocalls and robotexts, and we strongly encourage the Commission to provide consumers and businesses the much-needed relief they deserve by addressing issues associated with reassigned numbers. Not only are these calls and texts to reassigned numbers a nuisance to consumers, but they also create liabilities for calling parties trying to contact Americans anticipating calls.”
 
Last year, Sens. Thune and Markey send a letter to Meredith Attwell Baker, president and CEO of CTIA-The Wireless Association, to explore if wireless carriers are in a unique position to reduce unwanted robocalls and robotexts.