Ensign wants Do-Not-Call registry permanent

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., has called on Congress to remove provisions that automatically remove phone numbers from the Do-Not-Call registry after five years.

Ensign co-sponsored legislation to make that change, saying most people aren't aware that their number will be removed from the list barring unwanted solicitors from calling them.

"Individuals have the right to block intrusive solicitations on a phone line for which they are paying," said Ensign in a prepared statement on the legislation.

He authored the Do-Not-Call legislation in 2003 and since then more than 132 million phone numbers have been registered.

Ensign said nearly 52 million of these numbers will expire in the next year, once again allowing annoying and unwanted solicitors to call people at home. Ensign said people can re-register their number but that doing so will be a serious burden on the Federal Trade Commission as well as the individual.