    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [June 27, 2003]
    [Pages 702-703]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Creation of the National Do-Not-Call Registry
    June 27, 2003

        Good morning. I'm pleased to be joined by the Federal Trade
    Commission Chairman, Tim Muris, Federal
    Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell. I also want to thank their--members of their staffs who
    have joined us today. I appreciate your hard work on a--in an
    interesting and important initiative. We are announcing new measures by
    the Federal Government that will help Americans protect their private
    time or family time by blocking unwelcome phone calls from
    telemarketers.
        Unwanted telemarketing calls are intrusive. They are annoying, and
    they're all too common. When Americans are sitting down to dinner or a
    parent is reading to his or her child, the last thing they need is a
    call from a stranger with a sales pitch, so we're taking practical
    action to address this problem.
        The Federal Communications Commission has joined with the Federal
    Trade

    [[Page 703]]

    Commission to create a national Do-Not-Call Registry, a tool that will
    help ensure that telemarketers respect the privacy of our Nation's
    citizens. This registry will allow people to limit most unwanted
    telemarketing calls by registering their home or cell phone numbers.
    Registration can be completed by phone or over the Internet, and it is
    free of charge. The service also comes at no expense to the taxpayers.
    After all, it is fully funded by the telemarketing industry.
        Response to the initial proposal to create the do-not-call list was
    very strong. The FTC received more than 60,000 comments that
    overwhelmingly supported the registry's creation. After a number is
    registered, commercial telemarketers will be required to remove that
    number from their call list within 3 months. In addition, most States
    that already have similar do-not-call lists will transfer their numbers
    to the national registry.
        Citizens interested in finding out more about the Do-Not-Call
    Registry and how to register telephone numbers should visit
    donotcall.gov--should call up on the Internet, donotcall.gov, and they
    will find out how to place their number in the registry. Chairman
    Muris and Chairman Powell told me that as of today--starting last night, as of
    today, 108 persons per second are now registering their phone numbers.
        I want to commend the FTC and the FCC and the United States Congress
    for their good work on behalf of American consumers.
        I'm also pleased by the votes last night in the United States Senate
    and the United States House of Representatives to improve Medicare and
    to extend prescription drug coverage to our seniors. A stronger Medicare
    system that gives our seniors more choices and better benefits has been
    a central priority of my administration. I urge the Congress to
    reconcile their differences and to get a bill to my desk as quickly as
    possible.
        Thank you all for coming.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:42 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of these remarks.