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In a move that some say will have far-reaching implications, a number of Democratic lawmakers –and one Independent – are putting pressure on the Federal Communications Commission to reject proposals that could provide exemptions for businesses to use auto-dialers to reach consumers’ mobile devices.

In a letter this week addressed to Tom Wheeler (News - Alert), chairman of the FCC, the lawmakers noted that the planned proposals could “undermine” the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) of 1991, which sought to tamp down telemarketing, to set up a National Do Not Call Registry and to ban auto-dialing and pre-recorded calls, with some exceptions. The letter was signed by Massachusetts Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren, along with Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Barbara Boxer (D-CA (News - Alert)), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Al Franken (D-MN).

“More than 20 years after the enactment of the TCPA, it is clear that consumers have benefited from the law’s protections,” the letter said. “In 1991, Congress was primarily concerned with stopping phone calls while families were eating meals together, parents were helping children with homework, or workers were arriving home after work. These protections should continue for years to come. The FCC (News - Alert) should reject calls to weaken or undermine this effective law.”

The State House News Service in Massachusetts reported that according to Markey’s office, more than 223 million Americans have signed up with the National Do Not Call Registry since 2003.

“I do not and will not support bad actors that seek to pummel consumers with marketing efforts or abuse consumers with unfounded attempts at debt collection,” State House News said in his remarks posted on the FCC’s website. “But for too many American companies seeking to conduct legitimate marketing or collection efforts, or even to communicate with subscribers or employees, the implementation and enforcement of TCPA has turned into a nightmare. Serious problems with TCPA have been faced by American companies serving every sector of U.S. commercial activity, including health care, education, banking, sports, tech, and consumer services.”