Hasta La Gadget!

WASHINGTON — An unusually broad coalition of trade associations and lobbying groups, led by the powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce, issued a letter Monday to members of Congress, urging them to fund the government and raise the nation’s debt ceiling.

Coming from groups like the U.S. Chamber, which contributed millions of dollars in 2012 to help elect Republicans to Congress, the letter was a strong rebuke to the House GOP leadership. Late Monday, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) was still threatening to shut down the government unless essential provisions of the Affordable Care Act were dismantled or delayed.

The letter acknowledged the importance of reining in federal spending, a key Republican priority that some in the party have used to justify their dogmatic refusal to fund the government starting Tuesday unless Obamacare is defunded. “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,” the 251 groups wrote. “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.”

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