It appears that Jillian’s recent NRO article documenting her experience applying for and receiving a number of free taxpayer-subsidized cell phones – despite not meeting any of the eligibility requirements – has prompted a congressional response. Senator Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.) has written a letter to the acting chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) demanding information about the Lifeline program, the cost of which has more than doubled since 2008.

“In a recent article in National Review, ‘Me and My Obamaphones,’ the writer offers a ‘confession’ that readers are paying her phone bill and details how she does not meet any of the eligibility requirements listed above, but has received three Lifeline phones,” Sessions writes. “The failure to check applicants’ eligibility might be one of the reasons the Lifeline program has more than doubled in recent years—from $822 million in 2008 to over $2 billion in the latest annual report from the Universal Service Administrative Company.”

As Jillian explains in her piece, the Lifeline program, which began in 1984, was originally intended to provide free landline service to low-income individuals and those living in remote areas of the country. However, it has since expanded to offer subsidized cell phones, which have in recent years come to be know as Obamaphones. Individuals who already receive one form of federal assistance, such as food stamps, can qualify for a free phone, and because the welfare rolls have significantly expanded under President Obama, an increasing number of people are eligible for the program.

Sessions is asking FCC chair Mignon Clyburn to provide answers to 10 questions about the Lifeline program, specifically regarding the commission’s efforts to prevent fraud and abuse. “I want to understand what your agency is doing to eliminate abuses within the program, and why previous efforts appear to be insufficient,” he writes. “It is important that all federal programs be effectively administered and that these programs adhere to the highest standards in order to protect the funds provided by the American people. The [National Review] article suggests serious flaws in this program. These public concerns must be addressed.”