Senate Communications Subcommittee weighs challenges in fighting robocalls

The Senate Communications Subcommittee reviewed regulators' efforts to cut down on illegal robocalls during a hearing, which comes on the heels of the Federal Communications Commission's first-ever report on robocalls and as lawmakers push bipartisan legislation to crack down on the problem.  Senators heard from Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson who discussed the legal challenges in bringing robocallers to justice. "One of the challenges whether or not it is a civil penalty or criminal penalty is the ability to get our hands around these people... to actually get them in a headlock," he said. Subcommittee Chairman John Thune (R-SD) and Sen Ed Markey (D-MA) reintroduced bipartisan legislation in 2019 to crack down on robocalls through the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Defense (TRACED) Act. The bill would improve enforcement policies and have agencies better coordinate on tackling robocalls.