Washington (June 18, 2015) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, released the following statement today after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted at its June Open Meeting to modernize its Lifeline program and protect mobile phone customers from unwanted robocalls.

“I applaud the FCC for moving forward to modernize the Lifeline program,” said Senator Markey, a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. “Lifeline should reflect America’s need for broadband access at home for everyday living. The FCC’s decision today is an important step towards ensuring that low income Americans will not be left with analog connections to the digital economy. I look forward to continuing to work with the Commission to update the Lifeline program for our increasingly interconnected world.

“The FCC also took important steps today to protect Americans from robocalls calls by allowing mobile carriers to implement ‘do-not-disturb’ technology so consumers can simply say ‘stop’ to unwanted calls. I also applaud the FCC for listening to the concerns of consumers and improving the Order by reducing the number of calls permitted under certain limited exceptions and ensuring that consumers can immediately opt out from these calls. The privacy protections provided by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act are important safeguards for consumers, and I will continue to fight against efforts to weaken TCPA.”