US Chamber of Commerce Urges House To Pass Spending Bill

Don't want a government shutdown

WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Wednesday urged the House of Representatives to pass a spending bill and avoid a government shutdown.

Chamber President R. Bruce Josten said in an open letter to House members, the organization "fully recognizes the importance of restraining federal spending, both discretionary spending and mandatory spending, to reduce federal budget deficits, contain the growth of federal debt, and thereby re-establish fiscal discipline in the near-term and for the long haul." However, he wrote, "as the Department of Labor's recent lackluster jobs report reminds us, the U.S. economy continues to underperform, reinforcing the need for the federal government to preserve its normal operations pending a successful outcome of broader budgetary reforms."