This Week's Senate Committee Schedule

Hearings of Note: I bet Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, was resting up over the weekend with the busy week coming at him…

On Tuesday, the committee will be investigating war profiteering, and focusing like a laser on the well-known instances of fraud and abuse in Iraq by companies like Halliburton.

Then, on Wednesday, they jump into more abuses by the Bush administration in the form of a hearing called "Misuse of Patriot Act Powers: The Inspector General’s Findings of Improper Use of the National Security Letters by the FBI." I'd give anything to get an advance look at Senator Russ Feingold's notes for those hearings.

Not to mention that Leahy will probably have a whole mess of subpoenas ready for special delivery to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue by Thursday.

Ain't real oversight grand?

Keep an eye on the Environment and Public Works Committee, as Al Gore will be appearing there on Wednesday to testify about global warming… Given that the Republicans' ranking member, Jim "Ice-Age" Inhofe, doesn't believe in the science of climate change, this should be interesting as well.

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

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Mar 21, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the performance of the United States trade and food aid programs for the 2007 Farm Bill.

Appropriations

Mar 19, 2007 at 1 p.m. To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the National Institutes of Health. (Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee)

Mar 20, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Department of the Interior. (Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee)

Mar 21, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2007 for the United States Air Force. (Defense Subcommittee)

Mar 21, 2007 at 2 p.m. To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Department of Energy. (Energy and Water Development Subcommittee)

Mar 21, 2007 at 3 p.m. To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Federal Judiciary. (Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee)

Mar 22, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for Military Construction. (Military Construction and Veterans' Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee)

Mar 22, 2007 at 1 p.m. Business meeting to Markup the Supplemental Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2007.

Armed Services

Mar 20, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. To receive testimony on the United States Air Force in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the future years Defense Program.

Mar 21, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. To receive testimony on nuclear and strategic policy options. (Strategic Forces Subcommittee)

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Mar 21, 2007 at 9 a.m. To hold hearings to examine assessing the effectiveness of the current United States sanctions on Iran relating to minimizing potential threats from Iran.

Mar 22, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine causes and consequences relating to Mortgage Market turmoil.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Mar 20, 2007 at 10 a.m. To continue hearings to examine economic and safety concerns relating to promoting travel to America (Part II). (Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism Subcommittee)

Mar 20, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to examine energy innovation. (Science, Technology, and Innovation Subcommittee)

Mar 21, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. To hold an oversight hearing to examine the Consumer Product Safety Commission. (Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety Subcommittee)

Mar 22, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)modernization. (Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security Subcommittee)

Energy and Natural Resources

Mar 20, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the nomination of Stephen Jeffrey Isakowitz, of Virginia, to be Chief Financial Officer of the Department of Energy.

Mar 20, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to receive testimony on the following bills:

• S. 126: Mesa Verde National Park Boundary Expansion Act of 2007
• S. 257: Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area Study Act
• S. 289: Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area Act
• S. 443: Sangre de Cristo National Heritage Area Act
• S. 444: South Park National Heritage Area Act
• S. 500: Commission to Study the Potential Creation of the National Museum of the American Latino Act of 2007
• H.R. 512: Commission to Study the Potential Creation of the National Museum of the American Latino Act of 2007
• S. 637: Chattahoochee Trace National Heritage Corridor Study Act of 2007
• S. 817: National Heritage Areas and National Heritage Corridors Technical Corrections Act of 2007
• S. Con. Res. 6: A concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the National Museum of Wildlife Art, located in Jackson, Wyoming, should be designated as the "National Museum of Wildlife Art of the United States"

(National Parks Subcommittee)

Mar 22, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to examine the "Future of Coal" report recently published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Environment and Public Works

Mar 19, 2007 at 10:00 AM Subcommittee Field Hearing to examine the importance of state and local authorities in ensuring chemical plant security.

Mar 21, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to examine Vice President Al Gore's perspective on global warming.

Finance

Mar 20, 2007 at 10 a.m. To receive testimony on identifying needs, partnerships, and resources relating to a competitive education.

March 22, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. Keeping America’s Promise: Health Care and Child Welfare Services for Native Americans

Foreign Relations

Mar 20, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine Chad and the Central African Republic, focusing on the regional impact of the Darfur crisis.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Mar 20, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the state of Alzheimer's disease research 100 years later. (Retirement and Aging Subcommittee)

Mar 21, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine a review of treatment, diagnosis, and monitoring efforts, focusing on the long-term health impacts from September 11.

Mar 22, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine ensuring safe medicines and medical devices for children.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Mar 20, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To continue hearings to examine Medicare doctors who cheat on their taxes and efforts to address the problem. (Investigations Subcommittee)

Mar 21, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. To hold hearings to examine an overview of the Government Accountability Office Assistance to Congressional Oversight, focusing on past work and future challenges and opportunities.

Mar 22, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine deconstructing reconstruction, focusing on problems, challenges, and the way forward in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mar 22, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to examine a review of the Merit Systems Protection Board and the Office of the Special Counsel, focusing on the safeguarding of the merit systems principles in preparation for the consideration of the reauthorization of the two agencies. (Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia Subcommittee)

Indian Affairs

Mar 22, 2007 at 9:45 a.m. To hold an oversight hearing to examine Indian housing.

Intelligence

Mar 20, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold closed hearings to examine FY 2008 Budget -- Signals and Imagery Intelligence

Mar 22, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold closed hearings to examine Defense Department Intelligence Programs

Judiciary

Mar 20, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. To hold hearings to examine combating war profiteering, focusing on investigating and prosecuting contracting fraud and abuse in Iraq.

Mar 20, 2007 at 2:15 p.m. To hold hearings to examine monopoly or competition from new technologies relating to the XM-Sirius merger. (Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Subcommittee)

Mar 21, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the Inspector General's findings of the improper use of the National Security Letters by the Federal Bureau of Investigation relating to the misuse of the Patriot Act powers.

Mar 21, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to examine recent developments involving the security of sensitive consumer information relating to identity theft and solutions for an evolving problem. (Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security Subcommittee)