TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE CHAIR OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION, TOM WHEELER:

We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

WHEREAS, The Internet was designed to allow equal access for the promotion of knowledge and was developed with public resources for the benefit of the public; and

WHEREAS, The Internet is America's most important technology for promoting economic growth, fostering innovation, and encouraging free expression, and is increasingly becoming a globally democratizing resource; and

WHEREAS, Americans have become reliant on Internet access for civic discourse, commerce, education, medicine, and work; and

WHEREAS, The benefits of the Internet flow from its open architecture and low barriers of entry for content and application developers; and

WHEREAS, The Internet's open architecture furthers cultural diversity and enables people to build and maintain communities; and

WHEREAS, The providers of Internet access could threaten the openness of the Internet by blocking or slowing access to a competitor's content or content that is not philosophically aligned with that of the provider, prioritizing access to favored content, or requiring payments to access certain content, all of which will harm consumers and stifle innovation, economic growth, and civic discourse; and

WHEREAS, The Federal Communications Commission has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on May 15, 2014, seeking to adopt rules that will defend and promote Internet openness;

NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully request:

(1) That the Congress of the United States of America take affirmative action to protect and promote the openness of the Internet;

(2) That failing such congressional action, the Federal Communications Commission adopt rules that will vigorously protect and promote the openness of the Internet; and

(3) That should the Federal Communications Commission take such action, the Congress of the United States of America refrain from enacting legislation that would thwart the efforts of the Federal Communications Commission.

BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Tom Wheeler, Chair of the Federal Communications Commission, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

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