The undersigned 236 organizations urge the House of Representatives and the United States Senate to pass a Continuing Resolution to ensure the uninterrupted funding of the federal government into the next fiscal year and to act expeditiously to raise the nation’s debt limit.

We appreciate fully 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, with the U.S. economy continuing to underperform, the federal government needs to maintain its normal operations pending a successful outcome of broader budgetary reforms.  It is not in the best interest of the employers, employees or the American people to risk a government shutdown that will be economically disruptive and create even more uncertainties for the U.S. economy.

Likewise, we respectfully urge the Congress to raise the debt ceiling in a timely manner and remove any threat to the full faith and credit of the United States government.

However, entitlement spending remains the main driver of these deficits and high debt levels and must be addressed.  Today we spend $1.6 trillion on just three of the nation’s entitlement programs – Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.  In 10 years, the total price for these programs will soar to $3 trillion.

Spending on entitlement programs and interest on the debt currently represent 65% of total government outlays and already exceed all federal income tax revenues collected.  In 10 short years these payments are projected to reach 76% of government spending.  During this decade and the next without reform, entitlement spending will rise more rapidly as the number of Americans 65 and older will jump by 70% while those of working age will increase by less than 7%. The biggest threat imaginable to our entitlement programs is to do nothing at all.

As the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) just reported (September 12): 

• “Historical and projected growth of federal spending relative to the size of the economy can be attributed almost entirely to growth in spending for a few large programs—namely, Social Security and the major health care programs.”
• “The fundamental federal budgetary challenge has hardly been addressed.”
• “The largest federal programs are becoming much more expensive because of the retirement of the baby boomers and the rising costs of health care.”

Congress cannot continue “kicking the can down the road;” it’s time to take corrective action to address the unaffordable path of entitlement spending, to stabilize federal finances and to undertake fundamental tax reform to strengthen the American economy.

We urge the Congress to act promptly to pass a Continuing Resolution to fund the government and to raise the debt ceiling, and then to return to work on these other vital issues.

Aeronautical Repair Station Association
Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute
Airlines for America
Airports Council International - North America
American Apparel & Footwear Association
American Beverage Association
American Coatings Association
American Concrete Pressure Pipe Association
American Council of Engineering Companies
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Forest & Paper Association
American Gas Association
American Hotel & Lodging Association
American Insurance Association
American International Automobile Dealers Association
American Iron and Steel Institute
American Land Title Association
American Rental Association
American Road & Transportation Builders Association
American Supply Association
American Trucking Associations
AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology
Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Arizona Small Business Association
Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce/Associated Industries of Arkansas
Arlington Chamber of Commerce – TX
Associated Equipment Distributors
Associated General Contractors of America
Associated Oregon Industries
Association Forum of Chicagoland – IL
Association of Equipment Manufacturers
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers
Association of Washington Business
Aurora Regional Chamber of Commerce – IL
Austin Area Chamber of Commerce – TX
Austin Chamber of Commerce – TX
Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association
Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber – MD
Barrow County Chamber of Commerce – GA
Batavia Chamber of Commerce – IL
Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce – ND
Brainerd Lakes Chamber – MN
Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce – AZ
Buffalo Niagara Partnership – NY
Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International
Business Council of Alabama
Business Roundtable
Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce – NC
California Manufacturers & Technology Association
Carolinas Food Industry Council
Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce – CA
Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce – NV
Central LA Chamber of Commerce – LA
Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County – AL
Chamber of Commerce of the Mid-Ohio Valley – WV
Chamber Southwest Louisiana
Chambers of Commerce Alliance of Ventura & Santa Barbara Counties – CA
Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce – SC
Connecticut Business & Industry Association
Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA)
Construction Industry Round Table
Consumer Bankers Association
Corn Refiners Association
Cushing Chamber of Commerce & Industry – OK
Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce – MN
Dallas Regional Chamber – TX
Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce – OH
DC Chamber of Commerce
Delaware State Chamber of Commerce
Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce – CO
Destination Marketing Association International
Edison Electric Institute
Electronics Representatives Association
Erie Regional Chamber & Growth Partnership – PA
Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce – VA
Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce – MN
Fall River Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. – MA
Fashion Accessories Shippers Association
Financial Services Forum
Florida Chamber of Commerce
Fort Madison Partners – IA
Fremont Chamber of Commerce – CA
Fullerton Chamber of Commerce – CA
Gateway Regional Chamber of Commerce – NJ
Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce – NM
Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce – CA
Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce – TX
Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce – FL
Greater Des Moines Partnership – IA
Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce – NC
Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce – TX
Greater Iowa City Area Home Builders Association – IA
Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce – TX
Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce – PA & NJ
Greater Oak Brook Chamber of Commerce – IL
Greater Oro Valley Chamber of Commerce – AZ
Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce – AZ
Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce – NC
Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce & Industry – PA
Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce – LA
Greater Spokane Incorporated – WA
Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce – KS
Guitar & Accessories Marketing Association (GAMA)
Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC – PA
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce – SC
Hudson County Chamber of Commerce – NJ
Illinois Manufacturers' Association
Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC)
Industrial Packaging Alliance of North America
Industrial Supply Association
International Dairy Foods Association
International Foodservice Distributors Association
International Franchise Association
International Housewares Association
International Warehouse Logistics Association
Investment Company Institute
Iowa Association of Business and Industry
Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry – IL
Junction City Area Chamber of Commerce – KS
Kalispell Chamber of Commerce – MT
Kansas Grain and Feed Association
Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce – TN
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce – NE
Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce – AR
Longview Chamber of Commerce – TX
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce – CA
Lubbock Chamber of Commerce – TX
Management Association for Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS)
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce – NY
Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation
Marana Chamber of Commerce – AZ
Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce – IA
Maryland Chamber of Commerce
Metal Powder Industries Federation
Metro South Chamber of Commerce – MA
MetroHartford Alliance – CT
MetroWest Chamber of Commerce – MA
Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce – MN
Missouri Association of Manufacturers
Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Montana Chamber of Commerce
Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce – CA
Monticello Chamber of Commerce & Industry – MN
Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association
Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce – IL
National Asphalt Pavement Association
National Association of Chemical Distributors
National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders
National Association of Manufacturers
National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts
National Association of Trailer Manufacturers
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
National Beer Wholesalers Association (NBWA)
National Black Chamber of Commerce®
National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)
National Electrical Manufacturers Association
National Federation of Independent Business
National Grocers Association
National Marine Manufacturers Association
National Parking Association
National Restaurant Association
National Retail Federation
National Roofing Contractors Association
National Society of Professional Surveyors
National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association
National Utility Contractors Association
Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry
New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce
New Orleans Chamber of Commerce – LA
Non-Ferrous Founders’ Society
North American Equipment Dealers Association
North Carolina Retail Merchants Association
North Star Consulting Group
Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association
Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce
Northumberland County Chamber of Commerce – VA
Nuclear Energy Institute
Ohio Chamber of Commerce
Orange County Business Council – CA
Orlando, Inc. (Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce) – FL
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute
Overland Park Chamber of Commerce – KS
Oxnard Chamber of Commerce – CA
Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce – CA
Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Civic Association – CA
Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry
Petroleum Marketers Association of America
Portland Cement Association
Prince William Chamber of Commerce – VA
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce – MN
Rogers – Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce – AR
Salt Lake Chamber – UT
San Antonio Chamber of Commerce – TX
Santa Clarita Valley Chamber of Commerce – CA
Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce – PA
Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART)
Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association
Sierra Vista Area Chamber of Commerce – AZ
Smugglers' Notch Area Chamber of Commerce – VT
Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates (SOCMA)
South Bay Association of Chambers of Commerce – CA
South Carolina Retail Association
Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce – MO
St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce – MN
St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce – LA
Summit Chamber of Commerce – CO
Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber – WA
Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry
The Aluminum Association
The Association for Hose & Accessories Distribution
The Business Council of New York State, Inc.
The Chamber of Commerce serving Johnson City-Jonesborough-Washington County (TN)
The Council of Industry of Southeastern New York
The Ohio Manufacturers' Association
The Real Estate Roundtable
Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce – NY
Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce – CA
Travel Goods Association
Tucson Metro Chamber – AZ
Tulsa Regional Chamber – OK
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Travel Association
United States Telecom Association
Valley Industry & Commerce Association (VICA) – CA
Van Buren Chamber of Commerce – AR
Virginia Chamber of Commerce
Washington Retail Association
West Virginia Manufacturers Association
Window and Door Manufacturers Association
Wisconsin Grocers Association
Woodworking Machinery Industry Association
Yuma County Chamber of Commerce – AZ