Washington Week (video) | PBS

Hillary Clinton asserted this week that her team is not digging up information on Vice President Joe Biden if he were to run, but Anne Gearan of The Washington Post believes Clinton’s team is not sitting idly by waiting for Biden's decision.

Chaos erupted in the House Republican conference this week after Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy decided to end his bid to replace outgoing Speaker John Boehner. The vote was postponed at the GOP looked for a candidate who could garner support from the establishment and the Party's right flank.

At a White House press conference, President Obama addressed critics of U.S. policy in Syria -- including his former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Original Obama administration Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced his plans to step down at the end of the year. Alexis Simendinger of Real Clear Politics discusses his legacy.

After a gunman opened fire at a community college in Oregon killing nine people, President Obama made an impassioned appeal for stronger gun control policy. Despite Obama's plea, Alexis Simendinger of Real Clear Politics says there seems to be no appetite to bring up new gun legislation on Capitol Hill and if any change occurs it’ll be a project for the next president.

NPR's Tom Gjelten tells the story of the transformation of America's immigration policies in his new book "A Nation of Nations: A Great America Immigration Story." 50 years ago, the Immigration and Nationality Act was signed into law, and Gjelten says that it "changed America more than any other law in the 20th century... because it opened America's doors to people of color."

Fairfax County, Virginia, is a community that has been "transformed dramatically by immigration." As NPR's Tom Gjelten writes in his new book "A Nation of Nations: A Great America Immigration Story," the foreign-born population in Fairfax County has exploded in recent years with nearly one in three current residents born outside the United States.

After being under strong pressure from conservatives in Congress to push for tighter government spending, House Speaker John Boehner announced his resignation this week. As he continued his tour around the U.S., Pope Francis came to Washington to address Congress on controversial issues including immigration and climate change.

Amid tensions over Syria and Ukraine, President Obama and Russian leader Vladimir Putin will meet in New York during the United Nations General Assembly on September 28. Alexis Simendinger of RealClearPolitics explains the challenges the two sides face trying to find common ground on their profound differences. Plus, what led to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's downfall?

2016 presidential candidates are flocking to the Iowa State Fair this week hoping to grab the attention of voters in the first caucus state. The Iowa Straw Poll has been eliminated, but nearly 20 candidates plan to speak at The Des Moines Register's Soapbox this year. Four years ago, Gwen Ifill talked to Dan Balz from the State Fair about the impact of Iowa on the Republican presidential field.

While the top ten Republicans debated in primetime, the seven other candidates tried to break out of the bottom tier in a forum dubbed by many the "happy hour debate." Who was able to take on the top ten and increase their standing heading into the next debate in September?

Republican presidential contenders went toe-to-toe with frontrunner Donald Trump in 2016's first debate. Who was able to break through the fray? Dan Balz of The Washington Post, John Dickerson of CBS News and Jeanne Cummings of The Wall Street Journal break down the debate's highs and lows and analyze the role of The Donald in the 2016 season.

The first Republican presidential debate is less than a week away, and many are speculating about the role businessman Donald Trump will play as he leads the GOP field. Which Republicans will be on the stage to take on Trump? Plus, Congress is heading out of town for its five-week summer recess while leaving some major issues unresolved.

A new Pew Study shows that Republican trust in government and the presidency has never been at a lower point. Meanwhile on the 2016 campaign trail, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton dodges questions about whether the controversial Keystone oil pipeline should be built. House Speaker Boehner is fighting off a lone Republican congressman trying to remove him from his position.

Donald Trump sits atop the Republican presidential field for president, but how do the businessman's loud and spirited exchanges with his GOP opponents affect the race? How is the Trump campaign overshadowing newer Republican entrants into the field? Plus, will another potential email probe dampen Hillary Clinton's credibility and political aspirations?

Racial justice concerning the Black Lives Movement came center stage during the Democratic presidential campaign this week when candidates Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley were met with protesters as the Netroots National town hall. How are the Democratic candidates navigating issues of race and justice and keeping their base happy?