[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 25, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E68]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REINTRODUCTION OF PHONE BANK LEGISLATION

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                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 25, 2005

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce legislation to subject 
operators of push polls or phone banks to the same disclosure 
requirements as other types of political communication. It will not ban 
push polls or phone banking--it will simply create a level playing 
field for all types of political communication. Under this bill, any 
person conducting these types of calls would be required to disclose to 
each recipient of a call the identity of the organization paying for 
the call. In addition, the bill would require that campaigns and other 
organizations that conduct advocacy phone calls report to the Federal 
Election Commission, FEC, the number of households they have contacted 
and the script they used in making the calls. The bill would not 
interfere with legitimate polling, conducted either by candidates or 
independent organizations, as it would only apply to phone banks in 
which more than 1,500 households are contacted within the 25 days 
preceding a federal election.

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