Take a look at the week in politics from December 6 to December 12.
The week in politics
Photos: The week in politics
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at the USS Yorktown in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, during a Pearl Harbor Day rally on Monday, December 7. Earlier in the day, a press release for Trump's campaign called "for a complete and total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." The statement came in the wake of a deadly mass shooting carried out by two Muslim radicals in San Bernardino, California.
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Photos: The week in politics
Hidayah Martinez Jaka wears an American flag hijab as Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley speaks at a mosque in Sterling, Virginia, on Friday, December 11. O'Malley condemned Donald Trump's proposed ban on Muslims, as have many prominent Republicans.
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Photos: The week in politics
Elevator doors close as NFL quarterback Michael Vick arrives at the state capitol in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, December 8. Vick, who once served time in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring, was lobbying for a bill that would allow authorities to rescue animals left in hot vehicles.
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Photos: The week in politics
Pastor Jamal Bryant points something out to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday, December 8, as the presidential candidate toured the Baltimore neighborhood where violence erupted after the death of Freddie Gray earlier this year. Gray, 25, died in police custody in April. According to his attorney, he died from a severe spinal cord injury he received while in police custody. The case raised long-simmering tensions between police and residents, and six police officers have been charged in connection with Gray's death.
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Photos: The week in politics
U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama arrive at the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington on Sunday, December 6. Among those honored this year were "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, singer Carole King and actress Cicely Tyson.
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Photos: The week in politics
Stephen Colbert, right, rubs orange powder from a bag of Cheetos on the cheek of Jon Stewart, dressed as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, during an appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," Thursday, December 10, in New York. Stewart is lobbying Congress to approve more funding to treat people sickened by working in the rubble of the World Trade Center following the Sept. 11 attacks.
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Photos: The week in politics
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes the stage for a town-hall meeting in Salem, New Hampshire, on Tuesday, December 8.
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Photos: The week in politics
Caitlin Aguilar, 6, holds a photo of gun violence victim Teshawn Samuel during a Capitol Hill news conference calling for tougher gun laws on Thursday, December 10. Caitlin's sister Aliyah was killed by a drive-by shooting in Chicago. Samuel was fatally shot in New York in 1999.
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Photos: The week in politics
Capitol workers dressed as the Grinch wait to visit the office of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz as they rally for a $15-an-hour wage on Tuesday, December 8.
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Photos: The week in politics
Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush talks to 10-year-old Cameron Burgess after speaking at a forum in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Tuesday, December 8.
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Photos: The week in politics
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks during a campaign event in Atlanta on Tuesday, December 8.
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Photos: The week in politics
The Every Student Succeeds Act sits on a table before being signed by President Barack Obama on Thursday, December 10. The legislation overhauls the controversial No Child Left Behind program. Under the new law, students still must be tested in reading and math, but state and local officials would have greater leeway in determining how to respond to underachieving schools.
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Photos: The week in politics
A man uses his cell phone, with a photo of former President Ronald Reagan on it, to take pictures of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in Washington on Thursday, December 10. Cruz, a Republican presidential candidate, was meeting with supporters after speaking at the Heritage Foundation.
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Photos: The week in politics
President Barack Obama delivers a national address from the White House Oval Office on Sunday, December 6. During his speech, Obama issued his most passionate denunciation yet of ISIS, vowing to "destroy" the militant group in a relentless, strong and smart campaign that is consistent with the nation's values.
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