Experts at House hearing say robocall fight needs more authority and staffing for FCC, FTC and DOJ

At a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on robocalls and robotexts, industry and consumer-protection witnesses said enforcement agencies need more staff, funding and explicit authorities from Congress to pursue large-scale fraud and collect penalties. The discussion centered on whether the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) currently have the tools and personnel to hold prolific scammers accountable and to cooperate with industry traceback efforts.

Witnesses said the TRACE Act and STIR/SHAKEN framework have helped reduce spoofing and some high-volume scam campaigns, but they argued that criminal enforcement, sustained agency independence and resources are required to disrupt cross-border criminal networks. "Under resourced consumer protection agencies is just a big win for scammers," one witness said, adding that enforcement and investigative capacity is essential to impose consequences and deter repeat offenders.

Members of the committee raised recent administration actions, including the removal of commissioners and proposed staff and budget reductions, and asked witnesses how those moves would affect enforcement. Witnesses testified that reduced staffing, the loss of Senate-confirmed commissioners and budget cuts can hamper investigations and limit the agencies' ability to collect fines — pointing out that agencies often must refer fine collection to DOJ and lack direct collection power. Several members said that weakening independent agencies sends a signal to bad actors that enforcement risk is lower.

Witnesses urged Congress to consider changes including: codifying additional authorities (for example, clearer authorities to collect fines without referral), sustained funding for enforcement teams, and enhanced collaboration with state attorneys general and international partners. They also recommended measures to make the FCC's Robocall Mitigation Database and related tools more effective through stricter standards and faster removal of repeat bad actors.

Committee members from both parties recounted constituent harms, particularly to older Americans, emphasizing that enforcement helps protect victims and limits financial losses. Witnesses and members agreed that technological fixes alone are insufficient — enforcement and coordinated prosecution remain critical to stopping organized scammers.

The hearing produced no formal votes or new directives; lawmakers and witnesses left the door open for follow-up legislation to grant agencies clearer authority and funding to sustain and expand investigations.