House Democrats Slam FCC Chair Over Delay in Prison Phone Rate Caps
The lawmakers accuse Carr of violating congressional intent, causing societal harm
WASHINGTON, August 14, 2025 – Twenty-three House Democrats have urged Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to act in accordance with the Martha Wright-Reed Act’s deadline to cap prison phone rates.
Passed in 2023 with bipartisan support, the Act mandated that the FCC “cap the soaring costs of phone and video calls for incarcerated people” by January 5, 2025. In July 2024, the FCC unanimously approved rules capping rates at $0.06 to $0.12 per minute for phone calls, and as low as $0.11 per minute for video calls, depending on facility size
The letter, filed Tuesday, charged that the FCC’s decision under Chairman Carr to pause the implementation of these rate caps until 2027 – despite the fact that the rules had already gone into effect – went against congressional intent.
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