‘Young Guns’ and other GOP congressmen who played pivotal roles in debt debate

The frantic showdown that brought the nation to the brink of default was several years in the making.

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House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia banded together with fellow GOP congressmen Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and Kevin McCarthy of California to form the "Young Guns," a moniker drawn from a magazine headline and a story anointing them as three of the party's rising stars. Together, the trio scoured the country for like-minded conservatives who shared their uncompromising commitment to shrink the federal government. But once many of this new breed of politician arrived in Washington, the GOP leadership found itself struggling to control a rambunctious rank and file.

Melina Mara / THE WASHINGTON POST

In private talks with the White House over the debt ceiling, House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) acted as the same old negotiator he'd always been. But once he left the room to sell something to the firebrands in his party, he couldn't seal the deal. A Democratic official involved in the talks recalled that Cantor and Boehner both emphasized that the House GOP freshmen were a "different breed," an "extreme force that could not be controlled."

Melina Mara / THE WASHINGTON POST

Long before the debt limit debate intensified in Washington, the congressional candidates who had been recruited by the Young Guns were making it a hot topic on the campaign trail. In South Dakota, GOP challenger Kristi Noem, pictured here, used the phrase to hammer her Democratic opponent, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. Noem told Fox News that Sandlin had "voted for the budgets that have put this country further into debt. She voted to raise our country's federal debt ceiling as well." The Fox newscaster, Neil Cavuto, challenged her. "Yes, but a lot people voted to raise the debt ceiling, because the government would shut down without it, right?" "Well, a lot of people did," Noem said. "But that doesn't make it right."

Melina Mara / THE WASHINGTON POST

In January 2009, Paul Ryan and other Republican lawmakers gathered for a dinner at the Caucus Room restaurant in Washington. He and others at the table agreed a "fundamental rot" had set in to their party and began strategizing as to how they might change direction.

Melina Mara / THE WASHINGTON POST

In his role as the GOP's chief recruiter for the 2010 elections, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) spent time outside of Washington, looking for promising talent to enroll in the Young Guns program. Many of his recruits would join the freshman class of 2011. His travels also alerted him to the gathering steam of the tea party, an entity which he saw as an ally, not a threat.

YURI GRIPAS / REUTERS

South Carolina Rep. Tim Scott called the battle over the 2011 budget a "defining moment" for the newcomers. "It strengthened our resolve to stick together, not necessarily against anyone, but for the people back home."

Grace Beahm / AP

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, (R-Utah), center, voted against Boehner's first proposal and the final debt-ceiling bill. He said he was well aware of how the leadership had used his and others' willingness to let a default happen as a negotiating chip. Rep. Reid Ribble, (R-Wis.), left, was another Young Gun recruit that was elected in November 2010.

J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., was another candidate who earned the support of the Young Guns program, which was backed by the NRCC.

Harry Hamburg / AP

Martha Roby is another Young Gun recruit who turned focus to the debt ceiling during her campaign. "This ‘need’ to raise the debt ceiling is caused by one thing: out-of-control spending in Washington," she said in February 2010.

Alex Wong / GETTY IMAGES

Rep. Mike Coffman, a freshman from Colorado, said the message from Boehner and Cantor after the House vote on Paul Ryan's 2012 budget proposal was clear. "They were saying, 'This is really not the place to take a stand. We're going to have a lot more leverage with the debt ceiling.'"

Barry Gutierrez / AP

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