“I’ve come to realize that the bigger fight is about the budget, about entitlements,” said Rep. Jeff Landry (R-La.), a freshman member of the Tea Party Caucus. The realization, he said, came a few weeks ago when Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) presented freshmen with a lecture on the budget.

“I can tell you it was an eye opener, learning the fiscal shape we are in,” Landry said.

With the fiscal 2012 budget looming, a debate has broken out between lawmakers like Pence who have urged the GOP to “pick a fight” on the 2011 funding, and others who argue the party needs to move on to next year’s budget, where the potential for much deeper cuts exists.

Read more: GOP freshman class faces its big shutdown decision: Fight or fall in line