Bipartisan lawmakers aim to stop call centers from going overseas

Two lawmakers are trying to make call centers American again by introducing a bill that will discourage companies from shipping such communication overseas.

Reps. Kristen McDonald Rivet, Michigan Democrat, and Brian Fitzpatrick, Pennsylvania Republican, introduced the Keep Call Centers in America Act of 2025 on Thursday.

“Everyone knows the frustration of calling customer service and getting run through automated messages, when you need the help of a person,” Ms. McDonald Rivet said in a statement. “Shipping call centers overseas kills American jobs and causes headaches for consumers. Keeping call centers here at home is a common-sense step forward to make life better for American workers and customers.”

The offshoring of call centers “weakens our economic security, erodes consumer protections, and removes jobs and investment from our communities,” Mr. Fitzpatrick said.

Call centers employ roughly 3 million customer service representatives in the U.S., according to the lawmakers. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 150,000 U.S. call center jobs will be lost by 2033.

“When companies cut corners, American workers get left behind. By preventing jobs from going overseas or being replaced by automation, this bill will save jobs in Michigan and across the country,” said Angie Miller, president of the Mid-Michigan Area Labor Council and a member of Communications Workers of America Local 4108.

The bill would require businesses to notify the Labor Department before they relocate a call center overseas, make the department keep a public list of employers that have relocated their call centers overseas to make them ineligible for federal grants and federally guaranteed loans, and require the agency to keep a report of the amount and location of federal call centers and the jobs lost due to artificial intelligence.

It would also require call center workers to tell customers on the phone where they’re located, whether AI is used for the call and transfer customers to American call centers if requested.

Legislation has also been introduced in the Senate by Ruben Gallego, Arizona Democrat, and Jim Justice, West Virginia Republican.

The lawmakers cited a survey from the Data for Progress that shows 70% of Americans find the automated phone systems over human interaction frustrating.

“When folks pick up the phone and ask for help, they shouldn’t have to deal with AI robots or be routed to someone across the world,” Mr. Justice wrote.

Mr. Gallego acknowledged that having to call customer service is never a good day for anyone, and “on those frustrating days, you should be able to talk to a real human being right here in the U.S.”

The Communications Workers of America celebrated the legislation, which was introduced in the Senate last month.

“This much needed legislation protects U.S. call center jobs and addresses the growing threats posed by artificial intelligence and offshoring,” Dan Mauer, CWA director of Government Affairs, said in a statement. “Historically, companies have offshored customer service jobs to avoid paying good union wages and benefits. Now companies are using AI to de-skill and speed up work and displace jobs, which undermines worker rights and degrades service quality for consumers.”