The summer of 2011 saw Washington D.C. locked in a battle over budgets, taxes and fundamental theories about the role of the federal government. Congress was about to reach the debt ceiling - a legal limit on the amount of money the government can borrow - and the Republican controlled house could not come to an agreement with the Democratic Senate and President Obama about the best way to both pay for government programs and begin reducing the federal deficit.
The debate highlighted not only the policy differences between the two parties, but an ideological divide among Americans. After months of negotiations, political positioning, a golf game and the high profile collapse of a compromise between President Obama and Speaker of the House Boehner, a resolution was finally passed.
Capitol Hill was quiet on the morning of the deadline to raise the Federal debt ceiling.
A statue of Abraham Lincoln stands bathed in light in the Capitol Rotunda.
Tourists gaze at a painting of George Washington on the ceiling of the Capitol Rotunda.
Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-MN, who was seeking the republican nomination for President, greets a family of protesters from Missouri on the steps on the Capitol before voting no on a bill that would increase the debt ceiling.
As the capitol came under the national spotlight, the halls were certainly quiet. On the eve of the Treasury Department's August 2nd deadline, the Senate announced that they would resume work at 1 pm.
Capitol Hill, a sprawling complex of offices, is linked by an underground network of trains built to shuttle lawmakers and staffers.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, walks from the floor of the Senate to his office while being interviewed by NBC's Brian Williams. McConnell was a key intermediary between Speaker Boehner and the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, D-NV.
Staffers of the House Republican Conference aligns flags before Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-OH, held a press conference. At the height of the debate, the leadership of both parties talked to the press multiple times a day.
Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-OH, was put in the precarious position of trying to negotiate with the President and maintain leadership of some of the more radical members of his own party.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-VA, made a name for himself early in the debate, refusing to yield on any increase in taxes.
Reporters on the hill scrambled to jot notes after an informal meeting with the Speaker of the House.
Journalists rest during a long day on the Hill.
News Anchor Brian Williams waits to talk to Speaker of the House John Boehner early one morning.
A member of Congress jogges up the steps of the Capitol on his way to vote on legislation that would raise the debt limit. The legislation passed and will move to the Senate tomorrow.
Speaking from the Diplomatic Reception Room in the White House, President Obama reached out to House republicans, urging them to compromise on ongoing debt ceiling negotiations.
President Obama meets with Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-OH, in the Cabinet Room of the White House. The President called the leaders to meet with him yesterday afternoon, after John Boehner stopped returning the President's phone calls and announced that he was pulling out over negotiations detailing how Congress would raise the debt ceiling.
President Obama announces a compromise that will raise the debt ceiling in the briefing room at the White House.
Senators hold a press conference.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, talks to reporters about his plan to move forward with a compromise struck with republicans yesterday over how to raise the debt ceiling.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, walks across the Capitol after a meeting in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's office. A deal is rumored to be in the works, with many lawmakers expressing increased optimism throughout the day.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, walks into his office after voting on Majority Leader Reid's plan to increase the debt ceiling. The vote, intended to prevent a republican filibuster, failed with the lack of a compromise between the two parties.