Here’s a bit of news that everyone regardless of party can get behind: the H.R. 2386, Stop Robocalls Act now in Congress. In fact, the measure has six cosponsors, working across the aisle, including First District Rep. Rob Wittman.

In a report, Wittman writes, “During my travels across the district, I have been hearing from constituents that now, more than ever, they are getting harassed by robocalls—often many times a day. These robocalls are not only a nuisance but they also pose as a threat to individual’s privacy and security. In 2018, the top fraud reports were imposter scams, debt collection, and identity theft. In addition, Americans are losing copious amounts to fraudulent entities and robocalls. According to the Federal Trade Commission, over 25% of people lost money in reported fraud cases, totaling $1.48 billion—which indicates an increase of 38 percent over 2017. The evidence is clear; this is a growing epidemic that must be stopped.”

We can all get behind this measure, but it has a long way to go: through committee, through the House, to the Senate and its processes, and to the president for signature. Wittman said, “This bill will allow a carrier of voice services to provide robocall blocking technologies to customers on an informed opt-out basis at no charge.” Will this measure work through the minefield that is Congress today? We can only hope; and we hope it will have enough teeth to find a way to eliminate those calls that come at the worst moments.