During this holiday week, we pause to take stock of the successes and challenges for Congress and the Obama administration.  We examine America's role abroad in Egypt and Syria plus the economic outlook for the remainder of 2013.  Joining Gwen: Susan Davis, USA Today; John Dickerson, Slate Magazine and CBS News; David Wessel, Wall Street Journal; Jeff Zeleny, ABC News.

Obama spoke against the violence in Egypt, and the U.S. cancelled joint military exercises scheduled for next month; Holder is pushing to scale back mandatory minimum sentences for low-level drug offenders; and a look at Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden's 2016 ambitions. Joining Amy Walter of Cook Political Report: Indira Lakshmanan, Bloomberg News; Pete Williams, NBC News; Jeff Zeleny, ABC News.