Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – 6/9/26… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) led a bipartisan letter with 18 colleagues to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) expressing strong support for the agency’s proposed rulemaking to combat illegal robocalls through strengthened policies and oversight. 

The letter backs the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Combatting Illegal Robocalls Through RCC Numbering Policies, which seeks to modernize the nation’s communications infrastructure and close loopholes that fraudsters exploit to carry out scams. 

According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans reported approximately $15.9 billion in fraud losses in 2025, the highest amount ever recorded. Victims who were contacted by phone suffered some of the largest financial losses, showing the need for stronger safeguards to prevent bad actors from exploiting Americans. 

“We commend the Commission for advancing this rulemaking and urge the FCC to incorporate enhanced interagency coordination with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and other financial regulators into the final framework. Robocall-driven scams almost always culminate in financial transactions. Treasury and financial regulators maintain visibility in these money-movement channels and possess analytic tools capable of identifying fraud patterns that originate with spoofed or fraudulently obtained numbers,” wrote the lawmakers. 

Advances in artificial intelligence and voice-cloning technology have made fraudulent schemes increasingly sophisticated, while practices such as “number cycling” allow criminals to rapidly switch phone numbers and evade detection. The letter urges the FCC to adopt clear and enforceable standards to address these tactics and better protect consumers.

Additional signers of the letter included Reps. Tim Moore, Dan Meuser, María E. Salazar, Troy E. Nehls, Carol D. Miller, Marlin A. Stutzman, Young Kim, Andy Barr, John Rose, Zach Nunn, Mike Haridopolos, Bryan Steil, Jefferson Shreve, Ann Wagner, Barry Loudermilk, Troy Downing, Monica De La Cruz, and Morgan Griffith.

The full letter can be found HERE.

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.

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