NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Dingell on GAO Report on FCC Enforcement

Washington, D.C. – Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), the Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, issued the following statement regarding a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released today concerning the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) enforcement efforts:

When more than 80 percent of complaints investigated by the FCC are closed without any meaningful enforcement action, and it isn’t possible to determine why no action was taken, then it appears that the FCC has abdicated its duty to protect consumers.

This GAO report clearly demonstrates why we cannot rely solely on the FCC to enforce complaints, and why it is important to have safeguards in place at both the federal and the state level, as is the case in my home state of Michigan.

The Committee will exercise vigorous oversight to ensure that consumers have adequate protections and that the FCC performs its duties in an effective and timely manner.

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