"TechNews.com" part of the Washington Post - Tauzin Reverses Stance on Do-Not-Call List. Congressman Pledges Support for FTC's Proposed Telemarketing Registry Amid a strong show of congressional support for a government program to curb unsolicited calls, a key House committee chairman yesterday dropped his opposition to a Federal Trade Commission request for quick funding for a national do-not-call list. After a 90-minute committee briefing with FTC Chairman Timothy J. Muris, Rep. W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-La.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he will help the agency obtain quick approval for the plan -- as long as the funding is limited and Congress has a chance to review the program in a couple of years. "We are working with the FTC to try to get one to two years' funding authority" for the anti-telemarketing registry, Tauzin spokesman Ken Johnson said shortly after the briefing. "We are shooting to get this done," he added, so the $16 million in funding can be approved by the end of this month and the do-not-call list can be operational by the end of the year. Tauzin's support contrasted with reservations he expressed as recently as Tuesday. In a letter to Muris late last month, Tauzin said he would block the agency's request for immediate funding until his committee had "adequate opportunity to properly review and evaluate" the plan. [Privacy Digest]
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