Our nation’s technology leadership is not a coincidence. We have created an environment that promotes innovation, including an antitrust approach that prioritizes consumers and a free market economy. Other nations have tried different approaches. European marketplace regulators see success as suspicious and are more apt to crack down on large companies because “big is bad.” In terms of promoting innovation, this strategy failed: of the world’s top 200 digital companies, only eight are European.

This week, the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google — crown-jewel U.S. companies and global leaders — will appear before the House Judiciary Committee as part of the Committee’s investigation of competition in the digital marketplace. The hearing is the latest installment in a litany of congressional investigations into the size and growth of these companies, misguided by notions that these companies are somehow harming consumers or the economy.

Not only are these companies favorites among consumers, they are responsible for bolstering a vibrant industry responsible for record levels of R&D investment and supporting a thriving startup scene. More importantly in this time of crisis, all of these companies are playing key roles in helping Americans weather the COVID-19 pandemic.

These platforms enable students to continue their studies remotely, allow small businesses to transact online and help facilitate digital health capabilities for health professionals. Amazon has been the vital lifeline providing food and goods to people who cannot leave their homes. Facebook and Twitter have worked to highlight accurate health information and are allowing Americans to stay in touch with socially-distanced loved ones. Apple and Google have combined their extraordinary resources to develop privacy-preserving contact tracing to reduce the spread of the virus. More, these companies are hiring thousands of Americans to help power our nation out of a recession.

Crisis breeds innovation—and our already dynamic startup ecosystem is about to become even more vibrant as changing circumstances and consumer needs create openings for entrepreneurs. Sure enough, over the last few months new social platforms like Zoom, Parler and Houseparty have elbowed aside incumbents and gained millions of users. Meanwhile, the pandemic-driven online shopping surge has boosted e-commerce competitors like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Instacart, Shopify and Etsy.

The position of today’s tech heavyweights is not established or safe. History shows that innovation is dynamic, and market leadership is tenuous. Today’s champions can fall quickly as new technologies arise and consumer preferences change. For example, in their excellent article “The Crystal Ball of Antitrust Regulators Is Cracked,” Adam Thierer and Trace Mitchell describe the uproar over the proposed merger of Blockbuster and Hollywood video in 2005 amid fears that the two companies would corner the market for DVD and VHS tape rentals. Merger critics and regulators failed to see the disruptive technologies that would soon upend the video rental marketplace, from high-speed home broadband to the rise of streaming video to the rapid adoption of mobile phones.

Congress' antitrust debate also has big implications for American global competitiveness. As our government investigates our top tech companies, something very different is going in in China. On July 21, Chinese President Xi convened a symposium of leading Chinese innovators. At the meeting, President Xi rallied the tech leaders and urged them to catch and surpass their United States counterparts. President Xi must be cheered and astonished to know that some American politicians propose unilaterally dismantling U.S. tech champions, allowing Chinese competitors to surge to the forefront.

The great American companies appearing before Congress this week have succeeded because they provide extraordinary and innovative services that users love. We urge Congress to recognize that our pro-consumer antitrust standard has promoted competitive markets while fostering U.S. innovation leadership. Our system works: the last thing Congress should do is undercut the established economic principles have brought such extraordinary benefits to our country.