William Tauzin: “Madam Speaker, whatever happened to the quiet evening at home? Most people have experienced it, that annoying ring on…”

“Madam Speaker, whatever happened to the quiet evening at home? Most people have experienced it, that annoying ring on the phone just as dinner goes to the table. When one answers, it is not a call from a friend or family member or even from work, it is someone calling to sell something, a telemarketer. Today we have before us of a bill that will allow hundreds of thousands of American citizens to enjoy the peace and quiet of their own home. H.R. 395, the Do-Not-Call Implementation Act, authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to establish a national do-not-call registry that will allow consumers to opt out of unwanted and harassing telemarketing calls. This landmark do-not-call list will provide consumers with one central contact to stop unwanted telemarketing calls. The new do-not-call list will be a free service to all American consumers, and those telemarketers who choose to ignore the do-not-call registry will face stiff penalties of up to $11,000 for each violation.”