Political Robo Calls

Congresswoman Foxx has pledged not to conduct “robo” calls to voters in the fifth district who have registered their phone number with the National Political Do Not Contact (NPDNC) registry at StopPoliticalCalls.org.  Congresswoman Foxx was the first Member of Congress to take the “Do Not Robo Call” pledge since the non-profit Citizens for Civil Discourse launched the list last October.

The National Political Do Not Contact Registry is a program of Citizens for Civil Discourse (CCD), non-partisan, non-profit organization (federal 501(c)(3) status pending) dedicated to elevating political discussion in the United States.  CCD created the National Political Do Not Contact registry as a first step towards reducing unwanted political phone calls, particularly automated messages (“robo” calls), which frustrate and annoy voters regardless of party and ultimately reduce political participation.  Learn more or register your number at www.StopPoliticalCalls.org.

Congresswoman Foxx is also leading the efforts in Congress to legislate the addition of political robo calls to the National Do-Not-Call Registry and has introduced the Robo Calls Off Phones (Robo COP) Act.  You may read more about this bill by clicking here and looking under "sponsored bills".

To read about the efforts to pull the plug on automated campaign calls in North Carolina below.


Pull the plug on robocalls
Greensboro News & Record
Tuesday, March 4, 2008

State Attorney General Roy Cooper wants to pull the plug on automated campaign pitches over the telephone. 

If Cooper had his way, candidate Beau Megawatt no longer could attempt to woo you in a recorded voice while you're trying to watch "Wheel of Fortune." 

The federal no-call registry, which prohibits telemarketers from calling those consumers who sign up, was supposed to fix this problem.  But political organizations are exempt from no-call enforcement. 

Cooper, who is himself a candidate running for re-election, wants that loophole closed for automated political calls.  Last week he told a U.S. Senate committee that the same regulations that apply to private companies should apply to political "robocalls."  Cooper specifically suggested do-not-call registries for federal candidates. 

Cooper has pushed this cause before, backing an unsuccessful bill in 2007 by state Sen. Tony Rand, a fellow Democrat, to outlaw campaign robocalls in North Carolina.  Cooper cites sheer annoyance as the primary reason.  "Many consumers are sick of them," he said. 

A Republican congresswoman, Virginia Foxx, has introduced similar legislation in Washington in 2004 and again last year. 

Given the universal pain of a unwanted call from an unwanted source at an inconvenient hour, Cooper certainly has a point. 

But hold the phone.  While campaigns cynically could be considered as much in the business of a selling as someone hawking credit cards, mortgage refinancing or rug cleaning, there is an important distinction: Campaigns are a part of the democratic process.  And encouraging citizens to vote using robocalls can't be altogether bad. 

But there are other ways to accomplish that end without being so annoying and intrusive, including using real-life human beings.  Maybe that's why even some politicians want to put automated calls out of commission. 

Cooper's on to something.  Let's give Mr. Roboto a rest.