Call Completion, Anti-Spoofing Bills Would 'Hold Bad Actors Accountable,' Upton Says

in 2322 Rayburn. The bipartisan measures “will work to hold the bad actors accountable and protect consumers,” said Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich. “H.R. 2669 will strengthen the Truth in Caller ID Act by going after lawbreakers who seek to harass and defraud consumers.” Upton cited last week’s legislative hearing on the call completion measure (see 1609080080). “Our witnesses expressed support for H.R. 2566 and encouraged us that this bill could produce real results for consumers across rural America,” Upton said. “It’s time we set higher standards for the integrity of our networks, but more importantly, for the benefit of our constituents.” The Democratic staff memo for the markup cited no problems with either measure. HR-2669 “is identical to the language that passed the House under suspension in the 113th Congress,” the memo said. "Both bills address real, identifiable problems, and promote effective solutions" that are "the kind of work that is often overlooked for ‘grander’ undertakings but in the end, have the most impact on the daily lives of our constituents," said Communications Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore. "I’m optimistic that this can make a big difference in the way rural consumers receive their telephone calls," he said of HR-2566. Of HR-2669, Walden said: "This is the second time we’ve looked at this legislation that will provide additional protection for consumers, and I’m hopeful this time we will see it successfully land on the President’s desk. As widespread use of text messaging becomes more prevalent, it is important that we ensure that consumers do not fall victim to ‘spoofing’ attacks where bad actors falsify their phone numbers, often to trick the recipient into providing personal information.”