Congressman Malinowski Fights Illegal Robocalls, Co-Sponsors Bill

A bill to protect Americans from illegal robocalls, which was co-sponsored by Congressman Tom Malinowski, overwhelmingly passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

The bill, called the TRACED Act, implements a nationwide caller authentication system so consumers can trust that the number they see on their caller ID is actually the person calling them.

Consumers will also be able to block unlawful calls, at no additional charge. The bill also gives law enforcement and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tools, information, and incentives to pursue scammers that break the law.

"Robocalls are a constant and dangerous intrusion into our daily lives, especially for seniors targeted by scams," said Malinowski, representative for District 7. The 7th Congressional District spans Essex, Union, Somerset, Warren, Morris, and Hunterdon counties. "I am proud to have cosponsored a bipartisan bill to bring some relief, and I look forward to seeing the President sign it into law."

In 2018 an estimated 48 billion robocalls were placed nationwide, an increase of 17 billion calls
from just the previous year. Many of those calls came from scammers, resulting in 22 million
Americans losing a total of $9.5 billion in 2016 alone.

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