The partial federal government shutdown was a political misstep that will be remembered for years to come. Carolyn Kaster/AP hide caption
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Congress managed to get a few things accomplished in 2013, with an emphasis on "few." T.J. Kirkpatrick/Getty Images hide caption
President Obama speaks to current and retired members of the U.S. military and their families as they eat a Christmas Day meal in the Anderson Hall mess hall at Marine Corps Base Hawaii on Wednesday. Getty Images hide caption
It's health results — not the number of treatments — that should count, leaders say. iStockphoto hide caption
Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., takes a break from the Senate floor Tuesday after a bipartisan budget compromise cleared a procedural hurdle. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption
Republican Rep. Tom Latham speaks in Des Moines, Iowa, on Nov. 9. Latham and two other congressmen announced Tuesday they will not seek re-election in 2014. Justin Hayworth/AP hide caption
Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York and Bill Nelson of Florida talk to reporters about their effort to renew the ban on plastic firearms, at the Capitol on Monday. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption
Immigration advocates gather Tuesday outside the fence for the lighting of the 2013 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree in Washington. Susan Walsh/AP hide caption
Rep. Henry "Trey" Radel, R-Fla., shown on Capitol Hill. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption
Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley speaks during an Oct. 27 fundraiser for his Senate campaign at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. Braley was one of 39 Democrats who voted Friday for legislation to allow insurance companies to continue offering policies that would otherwise be canceled because they don't meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act. Scott Morgan/AP hide caption
We face real-world decisions now about everything from sea level rise, to energy infrastructure to what food is best for you. Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Veterans are often found at Washington's war memorials, like the one to U.S. service members who died in Vietnam, recalling lost buddies and lost youth. J. David Ake/AP hide caption
Cloudy skies shroud the Capitol on Monday. Congress is at an impasse as Democrats and Republicans remain at odds over the crises gripping the nation. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption
Still Right Twice A Day: Visitors look at the Ohio Clock outside the Senate chamber on Capitol Hill Sunday. The clock that has stood watch over the Senate for 196 years stopped running shortly after noon Wednesday. Employees who wind the clock weekly were furloughed in the federal shutdown. Jose Luis Magana/AP hide caption