This Week's Senate Committee Schedule

Senate Committee hearings this week are boring only to the extent that Alberto Gonzales is not getting grilled again and because it has already become routine to expect that the 110th Congress will necessarily spend a whole bunch of time doing the remedial oversight that was never even considered by the Republican, do-nothing Congress.

Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) kicks off a busy week in the Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, as the panel looks at the general readiness of U.S. ground forces after years of being pillaged by the Bush administration and having troop efforts squandered in Iraq.

Testimony will be given by military leaders including General George W. Casey, the Army Chief of Staff, for this hearing, which was postponed from last week.

On Thursday, there's more Armed Services oversight -- on our national creed, as it were -- when the committee examines "legal issues regarding individuals detained by the Department of Defense as unlawful enemy combatants."

The Environment and Public Works Committee will hold hearings tomorrow to get testimony on implications of the Supreme Court's recent decision that said the Environment Protection Agency should either regulate the emission of greenhouse gases or provide a legal explanation for why it is not doing so.

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, led by Susan Collins (R-ME) and near-Republican, Joe Lieberman will respond to the Virginia Tech shootings by beginning hearings on the overall safety on U.S. college campuses.

The Judiciary Committee looks at a couple of interesting pieces of legislation, both sponsored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who has to be one of the hardest-working people in the Senate right now.

S. 495, the Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2007, establishes standards for safeguards to protect the security of sensitive personally identifiable information and sets penalties for businesses responsible for breaches of Americans' privacy.

S. 119, the War Profiteering Prevention Act of 2007, will likely make Dick Cheney come back to the Senate floor and tell Leahy to "go f***" himself again, because it sets penalties and standards for people like Cheney's buddies at Halliburton when it comes to profiteering and fraud in scamming money off the Iraq war.

Finally, the Veterans Affairs Committee will do the oversight the GOP never did on the Department of Veterans Affairs and, in the wake of how poorly Vets of Iraq and Afghanistan are being treated for things such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), take a hard look at how the VA is dealing with the mental health issues caused by the war.

Among those testifying will be Tony Bailey, father of Justin Bailey, an Iraq war Veteran who died of an overdose after failing to get the help he needed for the drug problem brought on by PTSD and Randy Omvig, whose son Joshua killed himself just months after returning from battle.

All of these issues would have been far better served with a Democratic takeover of the Senate in 2004 instead of last year but, when it comes to these vital elements of the national agenda, it's definitely better late than never.

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

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Apr 24, 2007 at 9 a.m. To hold hearings to examine challenges and opportunities facing American agriculture producers, focusing on specialty crops, dairy, sugar, organic production and marketing, and honey.

Apr 25, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. To hold hearings to examine challenges and opportunities facing American agricultural producers, focusing on farm programs and the commodity title of the farm bill.

Appropriations

Apr 25, 2007 at 10:30 a.m. To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Missile Defense Agency. (Defense Subcommittee)

Apr 26, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. (Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee)

Apr 26, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2008 for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. (Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee)

Armed Services

Apr 24, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. To hold hearings to receive testimony on United States Pacific Command, United States Forces Korea, and United States Special Operations Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the Futures Years Defense Program.

Apr 24, 2007 at 3 p.m. To hold hearings to examine the readiness of United States ground forces in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal Year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program. (Readiness and Management Support Subcommittee)

Apr 25, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine whether the Army is properly sized, organized, and equipped to respond to the most likely missions over the next two decades while retaining adequate capability to respond to all contingencies along the spectrum of combat in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program. (Airland Subcommittee)

Apr 25, 2007 at 2 p.m. To hold hearings to examine language and cultural awareness capabilities for the Department of Defense. (Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee)

Apr 25, 2007 at 3:30 p.m. To hold hearings to examine Department of Energy atomic energy defense programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for fiscal year 2008. (Strategic Forces Subcommittee)

Apr 26, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. To hold hearings to receive testimony on legal issues regarding individuals detained by the Department of Defense as unlawful enemy combatants.

Apr 26, 2007 at 3 p.m. To hold hearings to examine Air Force and aviation programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2008 and the Future Years Defense Program. (Airland Subcommittee)

Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Apr 24, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine communications, broadband and competitiveness relating to how the United States measures up.

Apr 25, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. Business meeting to consider pending calendar business.

Apr 26, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine clean coal technology. (Science, Technology, and Innovation Subcommittee)

Apr 26, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to examine ATV safety. (Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety Subcommittee)

Energy and Natural Resources

Apr 23, 2007 at 3 p.m. To hold hearings to examine S. 1115, to promote the efficient use of oil, natural gas, and electricity, reduce oil consumption, and heighten energy efficiency standards for consumer products and industrial equipment.

Apr 25, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to consider the following:

• S. 324: New Mexico Aquifer Assessment Act of 2007
• S. 542: A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct feasibility studies to address certain water shortages within the Snake, Boise, and Payette River systems in the State of Idaho, and for other purposes
• S. 752: Platte River Recovery Implementation Program and Pathfinder Modification Authorization Act of 2007
• S. 1037: Tumalo Water Conservation Project Act of 2007
• S. 1116: A bill to facilitate the use for irrigation and other purposes of water produced in connection with development of energy resources
• H.R. 902: More Water and More Energy Act of 2007
• S. 175: A bill to provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by the District
• S. 1112: A bill to allow for the renegotiation of the payment schedule of contracts between the Secretary of the Interior and the Redwood Valley County Water District, and for other purposes
• H.R. 235: To allow for the renegotiation of the payment schedule of contracts between the Secretary of the Interior and the Redwood Valley County Water District, and for other purposes

(Water and Power Subcommittee)

Apr 26, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to examine the following:

• S. 312: Brigadier General Francis Marion Memorial Act of 2007
• H.R. 497: Brigadier General Francis Marion Memorial Act of 2007
• S. 169: National Trails System Willing Seller Act
• S. 580: A bill to amend the National Trails System Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to update the feasibility and suitability studies of four national historic trails, and for other purposes
• S. 686: Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail Designation Act
• S. 722: Walnut Canyon Study Act of 2007
• S. 783: Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve Boundary Adjustment Act of 2007
• S. 890: A bill to provide for certain administrative and support services for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission, and for other purposes
• H.R. 1047: To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Soldiers' Memorial Military Museum located in St. Louis, Missouri, as a unit of the National Park System

(National Parks Subcommittee)

Environment and Public Works

Apr 24, 2007 at 9:45 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the implications of the Supreme Court's decision regarding the Environment Protection Agency authorities with respect to greenhouse cases under the Clean Air Act.

Apr 25, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold an oversight hearing to examine the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee)

Finance

Apr 26, 2007 at 1 p.m. Coal: A Clean Future (Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure Subcommittee)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Apr 24, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine No Child Left Behind Reauthorization, focusing on modernizing middle and high schools for the twenty-first century.

Apr 26, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the effectiveness of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee)

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Apr 23, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to examine security on America's college campuses.

Apr 24, 2007 at 9:30 a.m. To hold hearings to examine trailers, focusing on creating more flexible, efficient, and cost-effective Federal Disaster Housing Program. (Disaster Recovery Subcommittee)

Apr 24, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to examine the Federal Transit Benefit Program, focusing on whether benefits are being misused, program rules are being violated, and agency oversight requires strengthening. (Investigations Subcommittee)

Indian Affairs

Apr 26, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine S.462, to approve the settlement of the water rights claims of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Nevada, to require the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the settlement.

Intelligence

Apr 24, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To receive a closed briefing on certain intelligence matters; FY08 Emergency Supplemental Request.

Apr 26, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. Closed business meeting to consider pending intelligence matters.

Judiciary

Apr 24, 2007 at 10 a.m. To hold hearings to examine the casualties of war focusing on child soldiers and the law. (Human Rights and the Law Subcommittee)

Apr 24, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. To hold hearings to examine the Insurrection Act rider and the state control of the National Guard.

Apr 25, 2007 at 10 a.m. Business meeting to consider the following:

• S. 1079: A bill to establish the Star-Spangled Banner and War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, and for other purposes
• S. 221: A bill to amend title 9, United States Code, to provide for greater fairness in the arbitration process relating to livestock and poultry contracts
• S. 495: Personal Data Privacy and Security Act of 2007
• S. 376: Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2007
• S. 119: War Profiteering Prevention Act of 2007
• S. 735: Terrorist Hoax Improvements Act of 2007
• H.R. 740: Preventing Harassment through Outbound Number Enforcement (PHONE) Act of 2007
• S. Res. 112: A resolution designating April 6, 2007, as "National Missing Persons Day"

Committee will also consider the following nominations:

• Robert Gideon Howard, Jr., of Arkansas, to be United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Arkansas
• Frederick J. Kapala, of Illinois, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois
• Benjamin Hale Settle, of Washington, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington

The committee may also issue certain subpoenas in connection with the investigation into the replacement of United States Attorneys.

Apr 25, 2007 at 2 p.m. To hold hearings to examine rising crime in the United States, focusing on the Federal role in helping communities prevent and respond to violent crime.

Veterans' Affairs

Apr 25, 2007 at 2 p.m. To hold an oversight hearing to examine the Department of Veterans Affairs, focusing on mental health issues.