[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 27 (Thursday, February 13, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E246]]
                     DO-NOT-CALL IMPLEMENTATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. ANNA G. ESHOO

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 12, 2003

  Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, with the consideration of H.R. 395, the Do-
Not-Call Implementation Act, we're finally directing our attention to 
an issue that has affected our constituents for some time . . . 
telemarketing.
  Telemarketing is big business. There are more than 16 billion 
telemarketing calls made each year which generate nearly $300 billion 
in sales and employ 6 million people. But consumers have grown weary of 
interruptions coming from an unwanted sales call at dinnertime, while 
they're sleeping, or just barely waking up. They've repeatedly asked 
for a way to avoid these calls.
  Twenty-seven states have responded by establishing do-not-call lists 
and more than 12 million households have already signed up.
  At last we have a federal response . . . a national do-not-call list. 
I commend the Federal Trade Commission for making this useful tool 
available to the consumers of our nation.
  Implementation of the list has an estimated cost of $16 million. This 
money is well-spent but it's extremely important that the FTC's 
proposal is implemented in the most efficient manner.
  Effective implementation requires harmonization with state laws, as 
well as a cooperative effort with the Federal Communications Commission 
which is in the process of reviewing its ten-year-old telemarketing 
rules. 
  One area that may need refinement is the FTC's exemption for pre-
existing business relationships. The current FTC rules place an 18-
month limitation on prior relationships but some industries, such as 
software and information product manufacturers, may have upgrades that 
occur outside this time frame.
  A longer time frame may be necessary so that the Do-Not-Call list 
doesn't have an arbitrary impact on consumers and small businesses. 
Only a consistent framework, not a patchwork of varying rules, will 
accomplish our goal of increasing consumer confidence and protection.
  I'm proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 395 and look forward to quick 
enactment of the FTC's Do-Not-Call list. I urge all my colleagues to 
vote for it to hasten its implementation for the American consumer.

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