Hang Up the Phone

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a new, national do-not-call list in
near unanimous fashion, elevating this issue to a higher level and
increasing the odds of this restriction on telemarketing efforts all over
the country.

The proposal, which passed 418-7, would allow the Federal Trade
Commission to collect fees from telemarketers to fund the creation of a
national registry that consumers could place themselves on and not receive
any telemarketing calls. Initial estimates are that the list will cost up to
$16 million to create. Funding for this program will have to come through a
House/Senate compromise initiative that is still pending.