This Week's Senate Committee Schedule

Hearings of Note: Armed Services will be talking about the depleted state of the U.S. Army and Marine Corps… The Energy and Natural Resources and Environment and Public Works Committees will hold meetings on climate change that never would have happened under Republican leadership. It would be fun to sit in on the Environment and Public Works hearing just to watch environmental troglodyte James Inhofe (R-OK) twitch every time the phrase "global warming" is used.

The Foreign Relations Committee will look at the nomination of Ryan Crocker to replace Zalmay Khalilzad as Ambassador to Iraq…That could be interesting because Crocker has been a critic of the conduct of the war.

And there will be a closed meeting of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday to talk about Bush's domestic spying program… Would love to be a fly on the wall for that one.

Here's the full Senate Committee schedule for the week:

Aging

Feb 15, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine Boomers and the budget.

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Feb 13, 2007 at 9:45 a.m. To hold hearings to examine challenges and opportunities relating to rural development.

Appropriations

Feb 13, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold oversight hearings to examine the Outer Continental Shelf oil and natural gas royalty management by the Department of the Interior. (Interior and Related Agencies Subcommittee)

Armed Services

Feb 15, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the current and future readiness of the Army and Marine Corps; there is a possibility of a closed session in SR-222 following the open session.

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Feb 14, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the semiannual monetary policy report to the Congress.

Budget

Feb 13, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the President's Fiscal Year 2008 budgetary proposals for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Feb 14, 2007 at 10 a.m. The President's Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Proposals on Tax Compliance

Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Feb 14, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine overseas sweatshop abuses, focusing on their impact on U.S. workers and the need for anti-sweatshop legislation. (Trade, Tourism, and Economic Development Subcommittee)

Feb 14, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold an oversight hearing to examine recent setbacks to the Coast Guard Deepwater Program. (Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard Subcommittee)

Feb 15, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the Administration's proposal to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration - Part 1. (Aviation, Operations, Safety and Security Subcommitee)

Energy and Natural Resources

Feb 12, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to examine recommendations on policies and programs to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and to expand the role of electric and gas utilities in energy efficiency programs. (Energy Subcommittee)

Feb 13, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change; examining the economic impacts of climate change and stabilizing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Feb 15, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2008 for the Department of the Interior.

Environment and Public Works

Feb 13, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to review and report the recommendations of the United States Climate Action Partnership Report.

Finance

Feb 15, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the Administration trade agenda for 2007.

Foreign Relations

Feb 15, 2007 at 9:15 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the nominations of Ryan C. Crocker, of Washington, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq, and William B. Wood, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Feb 13, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine The Healthy Families Act, focusing on safeguarding Americans' livelihood, families and health with paid sick days.

Feb 14, 2007 at 10 a.m. Business meeting to consider Mental Health Parity Act of 2007, Head Start for School Readiness Act, and any pending nominations.

Feb 16, 2007 at 10 a.m. Higher Education, Higher Cost and Higher Debt: Paying for College in the Future

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Feb 13, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the Homeland Security Department's budget request for Fiscal Year 2008.

Indian Affairs

Feb 15, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. Oversight hearing on the President's Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Request for Tribal Programs.

Intelligence

Feb 13, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. Closed Hearing: China

Feb 14, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. Closed Hearing: Renditions

Feb 15, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. Closed Hearing: NSA Warrantless Surveillance Program

Judiciary

Feb 14, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine judicial security and independence.

Rules and Administration

Feb 14, 2007 at 11:30 a.m. Senate Committee Budget Requests

Small Business and Entrepreneurship

Feb 13, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine alternatives for easing small business health care costs.