Chamber of Commerce presses House Republicans to back Boehner's plan

The nation's largest business lobby is making all-out push to get House lawmakers to support House Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) plan to raise the nation's debt limit.

In a letter sent to lawmakers today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce minced no words when it came to the package, and the need to raise the debt limit.

"This legislation is critical. Default on debt obligations is not an acceptable option. The time for Congress to act is now," wrote R. Bruce Josten, the chamber's executive vice president for government affairs.

He added that the chamber is considering scoring the vote for its annual scorecard.

He admitted that "while no legislation is perfect," Boehner's proposal represents a "necessary first step" by making initial spending cuts, and putting in place a mechanism to ensure further cuts in the future.

And the group made clear, as it has in the past, that the debt limit must be raised to avoid economic disaster.