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Inslee listens to a constituent.

Montage of Wing Point in Bainbridge Island and the Edmonds Ferry.

Jay Inslee: Washington's 1st Congressional District

Issues

Microsoft Trial

Microsoft Settlement Letter

On August 9 2001, U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee and Jennifer Dunn sent a letter encouraging Attorney General John Ashcroft, the Microsoft Corporation and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller to reach a "just and speedy conclusion to this case." One hundred twenty additional Members of Congress co-signed the letter, agreeing that, "Antitrust enforcement should be about protecting the American consumer, not deciding winners and losers among wealthy competitors."

Inslee commented, "The best thing for consumers and the high-tech industry would be to resolve the Microsoft case quickly. Members of Congress have been hearing from constituents about the need to end the trial for some time. We thought the major parties in this lawsuit could benefit from realizing the broad bipartisan support in Congress for a quick settlement to the case."

"At a time when the economy is struggling, our government should not be putting a chill on the innovative forces that drive the new economy. The best thing for consumers and our economy is a quick settlement of this costly litigation. This letter clearly demonstrates there is strong, bipartisan support for a fair settlement of this case," said Dunn.

Below is the text of the letter:

August 9, 2001

The Honorable John Ashcroft
U.S. Attorney General
Department of Justice
Tenth Street and Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530

Mr. Steve Ballmer
Chief Executive Officer
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052

The Honorable Tom Miller
Iowa Attorney General
Department of Justice
1305 E. Walnut Street
Des Moines, IA 50319

Dear Sirs:

Following the recent Court of Appeals decision, we are pleased that all sides in the Microsoft antitrust litigation have begun settlement discussions. Today we write to encourage these discussions in the hopes that a settlement can be reached at the earliest possible date and on reasonable terms that support competition and innovation.

Antitrust enforcement should be about protecting the American consumer, not deciding winners and losers among wealthy competitors. Now is the time for all parties to the litigation to address the remaining issues and provide some finality that protects consumers and allows the American high-tech industry to innovate and prosper. The American high tech industry offers extraordinary promise to deliver exciting new technologies to the American consumer and the global marketplace, and the resolution of this protracted litigation will greatly serve to further that goal.

While not expressing a view on the merits, we respectfully urge all parties to reach a just and speedy conclusion to this case.

Sincerely,

U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee, Jennifer Dunn, Tammy Baldwin, F. Allen Boyd Jr., Steny Hoyer, Dennis Moore, John Lewis, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Danny Davis, Jim Matheson, Jim McDermott, Nick Lampson, Mike Thompson, Gregory Meeks, Adam Smith, Joseph Crowley, Brian Baird, Rick Larsen, Ed Towns, Bud Cramer, Nick Rahall, Norm Dicks, James Clyburn, Peter DeFazio, Barron Hill, William Lacy Clay, Earl Blumenauer, Ted Strickland, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Eddie Bernice Johnson, Gary Ackerman, David Phelps, John Spratt, Mike McIntyre, Sherrod Brown, Robert E. Andrews, Jim Moran, Ron Kind, Tom Barrett, Tim Holden, John Tanner, Maurice Hinchey, Barney Frank, Louis Guiterrez, Cal Dooley, Jim McGovern, Ellen Tauscher, Mike Ross, Robert Menendez, Lane Evans, Henry Waxman, Robert Matsui, Mike McNulty, Gene Green, Anna Eshoo, Xavier Becerra, John Olver, Nancy Pelosi, Steve Israel, Harold Ford Jr., Bill Delahunt, Patrick Kennedy, Max Sandlin, Martin Frost, Tom Sawyer, Alcee Hastings, Elijah Cummings, Dick Armey, Henry Hyde, Judy Biggert, Stephen Horn, Charles Taylor, Charlie Norwood, Thomas Petri, Sonny Callahan, Tim Johnson, Deborah Pryce, Mark Green, Porter Goss, Ernie Fletcher, Pat Toomey, Anne Northup, Phil English, George Nethercutt, Greg Walden, Virgil Goode, Chris Cannon, Joel Hefley, Edward Schrock, Richard Pombo, Mark Foley, Duke Cunningham, Adam Putnam, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Tom Reynolds, Darrell Issa, Melissa Hart, Kay Granger, Jim Gibbons, Dave Hobson, Jim Greenwood, John Shadegg, Henry Bonilla, Doc Hastings, John Doolittle, Bob Goodlatte, Richard Burr, Steve Buyer, Charles Bass, Sam Graves, Randy Forbes, Shelly Moore Capito, Roy Blunt, Steve Chabot, Chip Pickering, Butch Otter, Bob Barr, Eric Cantor, J.C. Watts, Ric Keller