May 28, 2020

The Honorable Jerrold Nadler The Honorable David Cicilline Chairman Chairman Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, U.S. House of Representatives and Administrative Law Washington, D.C. 20515 Committee on the Judiciary U.S. House of Representatives The Honorable James Jordan Washington, D.C. 20515 Ranking Member Committee on the Judiciary The Honorable F. James Sensenbrenner U.S. House of Representatives Ranking Member Washington, D.C. 20515 Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law The Honorable U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, Washington, D.C. 20515 and Administrative Law Committee on the Judiciary The Honorable U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, Washington, D.C. 20515 and Administrative Law Committee on the Judiciary The Honorable U.S. House of Representatives Vice Chair Washington, D.C. 20515 Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law The Honorable Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, U.S. House of Representatives and Administrative Law Washington, D.C. 20515 Committee on the Judiciary U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chairmen Nadler and Cicilline, Ranking Members Sensenbrenner and Jordan, Vice Chair Neguse, and Representatives Buck, Gaetz, and Jayapal:

We are grateful for your consistent demonstration of support for America’s small businesses, especially those of you who displayed this yet again in your May 1 letter to . We write to urge you to compel Amazon CEO to personally testify before the Judiciary Committee, as requested in that letter. As you made clear, it is time for Mr. Bezos, as President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, to answer for his company’s systematic anti-competitive behavior and repeated efforts by Amazon executives to deceive the public.

Up until now, Mr. Bezos has left the dirty work of misleading lawmakers and the public up to subordinate employees. In an act of remarkable defiance, Amazon has publicly dismissed the request for Mr. Bezos’s testimony and suggested it will send yet another Amazon executive to carry his water. Amazon’s response shows blatant disrespect to Committee members, your bipartisan request and investigation, and for the business community that is being undermined by Amazon’s abusive tactics and for whom The Committee is standing up for. We and our constituents and members believe it is imperative that you now follow through on the option, which you made explicit in your letter, to compel Mr. Bezos to testify by subpoena. Failing to do so would not only undermine your own authority, but it would also implicitly condone Amazon’s deception and increasing dominance of the online retail market. These are urgent threats to the security of American consumers and businesses.

Now more than ever, American consumers are concerned about the survival of the small businesses that enliven our homes and our communities. The last few months have also brought unprecedented scrutiny over Amazon’s mistreatment of frontline workers, raising further concerns that the company feels it does not need to answer to anybody--not its workers or labor law and enforcement agencies, or even the advice of public health experts. You have our full support, as well as the support of our millions of members across the country, in challenging Amazon’s impunity.

The American public deserves to know the truth about Amazon’s anti-competitive behavior. As we begin to survey the damage from the COVID-19 pandemic, we see that many, many small business owners have been harmed beyond recovery. It is sickening to think how many of them were not able to survive because they were undermined by the actions of a company that has exploited the pandemic to reap record profits.

Nobody wants to see yet another anonymous Amazon executive trotted out to deceive our elected leaders with barely plausible denials and empty assurances, especially not after one ​ ​ such executive has already misled, and possibly lied, to Congress. There can be no true ​ ​ accountability in this matter unless Mr. Bezos, the public face of his company and its sole leader, is required to answer the questions of the American people. And there can be no movement to protect American businesses from Amazon’s predation unless its executives face consequences for their actions and their lies.

As advocates for small businesses, consumers, communities, and Amazon workers, we believe that the surest path to such consequences is to follow the one that most of you yourselves set out in your letter in May. It is up to you to enact the right that you reserve, in your own words, to “resort to compulsory process” if Mr. Bezos does not accept your invitation to voluntarily answer for his company's anti-competitive behavior. As we said in our previous letter, if we continue to fail to hold Amazon to account as it accumulates more political and economic power, we will only do further damage to ourselves, our democracy, and the rule of law. The country is watching for your next move, and we urge you to be courageous.

Please feel free to contact us through Athena’s Director Dania Rajendra at 862.201.5622 or ​ [email protected]

Sincerely,

Athena Institute for Local Self Reliance America Economic Liberties Project Jobs with Justice American Booksellers Association Local First Arizona American Independent Business Alliance Local First Arizona Foundation American Specialty Toy Retailing Association Lowcountry Local First Cambridge Local First Louisville Independent Business Alliance Campaign for Accountability Main Street Alliance Center for Digital Democracy Make The Road New York Center for Popular Democracy New York Communities for Change Color of Change Open Markets Institute Dane Buy Local Portland Buy Local Demand Progress Education Fund Public Citizen Fight for the Future Revolving Door Project Independent Office Products & Furniture Stay Local Dealers Association US Public Interest Research Group (PIRG)

cc.. The Honorable Speaker of the House of Representatives