SC lawmakers hold firm against Boehner plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — They share a bond that goes beyond their home state — and collectively they are proving to be one of House Speaker John Boehner’s biggest obstacles to finding a debt deal.

The five Republicans in South Carolina’s congressional delegation, four of them freshman, have bonded for months over their conservative ideals, shared religious devotion and desire to push Washington rightward. The state’s 6th congressman, and only Democrat, is Rep. James Clyburn, the House’s No. 3 Democrat.

Now the GOP lawmakers are holding firm against plans to raise the nation’s debt ceiling, saying it is in keeping with their principles and the will of their constituents.