WASHINGTON — U.S. Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet, and Ed Markey (D- Mass.), author of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, today released the following statements after the House of Representatives passed an amended version of their Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence (TRACED) Act (S. 151), legislation to combat the illegal robocall epidemic. Their bill, which will need to be reconsidered in the Senate, passed in May 2019 with near unanimous support.

“In today’s political climate, it’s hard to find an issue on which almost everyone can agree, but we found one with the TRACED Act,” said Thune. “With House passage of our bipartisan, bicameral legislation to protect consumers from pesky and sometimes financially harmful robocalls, we are one step closer to getting this legislation to the president’s desk. I’m hopeful and confident that we will be able to bring this legislation to the Senate floor in the very near future.”

“I applaud House of Representatives passage of the TRACED Act, my legislation with Senator Thune that cracks down on the deluge of robocalls that drown our phones every day,” said Markey. “There are no red robocalls or blue robocalls, only despised robocalls. I thank Senator Thune for his partnership on this important consumer protection bill. I expect quick passage of the legislation in the Senate so that Americans can finally get the relief they deserve from these harassing and fraudulent calls.”

Last month, House and Senate negotiators, including Thune, Markey, and U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Greg Walden (R-Ore.), Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), and Bob Latta (R-Ohio), announced an agreement on bipartisan, bicameral legislation to combat illegal robocalls.