“Boehnerland” Lobbyists Win Right to Bombard Student Borrowers With Robocalls

[Judi Lynn]

“Boehnerland” Lobbyists Win Right to Bombard Student Borrowers With Robocalls

Lee Fang
Oct. 28 2015, 6:03 p.m.

Deep inside the 114-page budget deal that passed the House Wednesday, legislative leaders tucked in a provision that will free debt collectors to bombard student loan borrowers with unlimited robocall and automated text messages where it hurts most — on their mobile devices — even when they are asked to stop.

The change is a major victory for the debt collections industry, which has retained a small army of lawyers and lobbyists for years to weaken the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the law that protects people from unwanted robocalls and pre-recorded messages.

It’s also a big win for the small network of lobbyists within outgoing Speaker John Boehner’s inner circle, a cadre nicknamed “Boehnerland” by D.C insiders.

Marc Lampkin, Boehner’s former general counsel and close personal friend, is a lobbyist with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a law firm that has led the charge on Capitol Hill and with the Federal Communications Commission requesting liability exemptions from the TCPA on behalf of student loan servicing giant Nelnet. Barry Jackson, Boehner’s chief of staff for nearly twelve years, also works at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

More:
https://theintercept.com/2015/10/28/boehnerland-lobbyists-win-right-to-bombard-student-borrowers-with-robocalls/

[Jake Stern]

1. Only friends and family

have my mobile number. Everyone else, including the student loan servicer, has my Google Voice number.

They can call and text all they want.

[cprise]

2. This could drive young people away from big telcos

much as big media are driving them to the Internet.

I smell opportunity.

[Downwinder]

3. This could get interesting,

Texas has a law, a carryover from faxes, that if an unsolicited call costs the receiver money they are entitled to a $500.00 payment from the caller.