2012: The Year in Washington, D.C. (83 images)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda share a toast prior to a dinner at the National Geographic Institute in Washington on April 30, 2012. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

Sen. Jon Thune (R-SD) speaks on the student loan bill during a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on May 8, 2012. UPI/Kevin Dietsch

Speaker of the House John Boehner (R) and Vice President Joe Biden wait for President Barack Obama's State of the Union address in front of a joint session of Congress on January 24, 2012 at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. UPI/Saul Loeb/Pool

First Lady Michelle Obama greets a military family as she hosts military families for Mother's Day at the White House in Washington on May 10, 2012.