Chip Pickering: “I rise in support of H.R. 3541. I, too, want to join in commending my colleagues, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Stearns, and my…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 3541. I, too, want to join in commending my colleagues, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Stearns, and my good friend Congressman Doyle from Pennsylvania. I thank the leadership of the committee, Chairman Dingell and Congressman Joe Barton. Joe has been a good friend, and he has provided the support on our side, and Cliff Stearns, the leadership on our side. Mike Doyle has been a tireless champion on this, a bulldog, and a great advocate for keeping peace and goodwill through the Christmas season for the citizens of our country as we do something that is common sense and pretty straightforward and simple, and that is to extend the do-not-call. We do not want the cold calls to fill the stockings. We simply want the good cheer that will come from the time around the dinner table and the Christmas tree and the holiday season that all of us who want to be protected in that sanctuary of home will be, and this bill will do that. The other great benefit, if we're watching our budget around Christmastime as a country and in the Congress, this has no cost. And so for our friends on the Senate side who are known to be frugal, we can tell you this has no cost. It can be passed quickly. It should be passed quickly as a Christmas present for the citizens of the country. This is good government. It is time. And we can do this together, House and Senate, on a bipartisan basis.”