Monday, September 22, 2008

This Week's Senate Committee Schedule

This may be the last week the Senate is in full session before election day and its committees are cranked up with a boatload of hearings between now and Friday.

Chris Dodd (D-CT) will once again be one of the busiest guys on The Hill as he fills in for Joe Biden (D-DE) on some treaty hearings in the Foreign Relations committee on Tuesday afternoon -- and that's after what promises to be the biggest committee meeting this week in Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, which Dodd chairs.

The Banking committee will hold a meeting on the meltdown in U.S. financial markets and has summoned Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and Christopher Cox, Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to provide some answers on who hasn't been minding the store on Wall Street.

The Intelligence committee will conduct a hearing "…to examine the new Attorney General guidelines for domestic intelligence collection" and the Armed Services committee will hear from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on progress in Iraq and Afghanistan.

With military Veterans Jack Reed (D-RI) and Jim Webb (D-VA) sitting on that committee, along with Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO), I'm hoping we can get some answers that go beyond the "surge" bromide.

Judiciary will hold a hearing "…to examine equal pay for equal work" which will feature testimony from Lilly Ledbetter, a retired Goodyear Tire employee who suffered for years being underpaid compared to male peers only to have a successful legal action overturned by the conservative U.S. Supreme Court. That's Tuesday at 10:00 am.

Finally, the Judiciary committee will also hold an important meeting on Thursday to examine a bill by Russ Feingold, S. 3501, that would require the Department of Justice to notify Congress when the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) determines that the Executive Branch is not bound by a statute.

Said Feingold in introducing his bill: "When OLC concludes that a statute passed by Congress does not bind the executive branch, Congress has a right to know that the executive branch is not operating under that statute, and to be apprised of the law under which the executive branch is operating."

Hmmmm… Talk about your worlds colliding.

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

Aging

Sep 24, 2008 at 10:30 am: Committee Member, Sheldon Whitehouse, (D-RI) will chair a hearing entitled: Honoring Final Wishes: How to Respect Americans' Choices at the End of Life.

Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Sep 24, 2008 at 10:00 am: A joint hearing with the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee will be held to examine the effectiveness of agricultural disaster assistance programs in the wake of the 2008 Midwest floods, Hurricane Gustav, and Hurricane Ike. (Disaster Recovery Subcommittee)

Appropriations

Sep 23, 2008 at 10:30 am: Joint hearings to examine food marketing to children. (Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee)

Armed Services

Sep 23, 2008 at 09:30 am: Hearings to examine the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan; with the possibility of a closed session in SVC-217 following the open session.

Sep 25, 2008 at 09:30 am: Hearings to examine the authorization of Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape techniques for interrogations in Iraq, focusing on the Committee's inquiry into the treatment of detainees in United States custody.

Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

Sep 23, 2008 at 10:00 am: Hearings to examine turmoil in United States credit markets, focusing on recent actions regarding investment banks and other financial institutions.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Sep 23, 2008 at 02:30 pm: Oversight hearings to examine the transition to digital television, focusing on the February 2009 deadline.

Sep 24, 2008 at 10:00 am: Hearings to examine the imbalance in United States-Korea automobile trade. (Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism Subcommittee)

Sep 25, 2008 at 10:00 am: Hearings to examine broadband providers and consumer privacy.

Energy and Natural Resources

Sep 23, 2008 at 10:00 am: Hearings to examine reasons that diesel fuel prices have been so high and what can be done to address this situation.

Environment and Public Works

Sep 23, 2008 at 10:00 am: Hearings to examine regulation of greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act (Public Law 101-549).

Sep 24, 2008 at 02:30 pm: Hearings to examine the Bush Administration's environmental record at the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Sep 25, 2008 at 10:00 am: Oversight hearings to examine the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) cleanup of the Superfund site in Libby, Montana.

Finance

Sep 23, 2008 at 10:00 am: Hearings to examine covering the uninsured, focusing on making health insurance markets work.

Sep 24, 2008 at 10:00 am: Hearings to examine infrastructure needs and the consequences of inaction.

Foreign Relations

Sep 23, 2008 at 02:15 pm The committee will examine the following treaties:
  • Protocols to the North Atlantic Treaty of 1949 on the Accession of the Republic of Albania and the Republic of Croatia adopted at Brussels on July 9, 2008, and signed that day on behalf of the United States and the other Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty (Treaty Doc.110-20).
  • Amendments to the Constitution and Convention of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (Geneva 1992), as amended by the Plenipotentiary Conference (Kyoto 1994).
The committee will examine the following legislation:
  • S.3103, to amend the Iran, North Korea, and Syria nonproliferation Act to allow certain extraordinary payments in connection with the International Space Station
  • S.1007, to direct the Secretary of State to work with the Government of Brazil and other foreign governments to develop partnerships that will strengthen diplomatic relations and energy security by accelerating the development of biofuels production, research, and infrastructure to alleviate poverty, create jobs, and increase income, while improving energy security and protecting the environment
  • S.3426, to amend the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to extend comparability pay adjustments to members of the Foreign Service assigned to posts abroad, and to amend the provision relating to the death gratuity payable to surviving dependents on Foreign Service employees who die as a result of injuries sustained in the performance of duty abroad
  • S.Res.598, expressing the sense of the Senate regarding the need for the United States to lead renewed international efforts to assist developing nations in conserving natural resources and preventing the impending extinction of a large portion of the world's plant and animal species, an original bill entitled, "Security Assistance Act"
The committee will also review the following nominations:
  • Brian H. Hook, of Iowa, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (International Organization Affairs)
  • Sung Y. Kim, of California, a Foreign Service Officer of Class One, for the rank of Ambassador during his tenure of service as Special Envoy for the Six Party Talks
  • Gregori Lebedev, of Virginia, to be Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform, with the rank of Ambassador and to be Alternate Representative of the United States to the United Nations, during his tenure of service as Representative of the United States to the United Nations for U.N. Management and Reform
  • Clifford D. May, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors,
  • C. Steven McGann, of New York, to be Ambassador to the Republic of the Fiji Islands, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador to the Republic of Nauru, the Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, and the Republic of Kiribati
Sep 24, 2008 at 02:30 pm: Hearings to examine the nomination of James Franklin Jeffrey, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Turkey.

Sep 25, 2008 at 03:00 pm: Hearings to examine the Middle East peace process, focusing on progress and prospects. (Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs Subcommittee)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

Sep 23, 2008 at 09:30 am: Hearings to examine investing in a skilled workforce, focusing on making the best use of tax-payer dollars to maximize results. (Employment and Workplace Safety Subcommittee)

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

Sep 23, 2008 at 10:00 am: Hearings to examine after action reviews of federal, state, and local activities to respond and recover from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. (Disaster Recovery Subcommittee)

Sep 23, 2008 at 10:30 am: Hearings to examine reducing the undercount in the 2010 census. (Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security Subcommittee)

Sep 23, 2008 at 12:00 pm: Business meeting to consider the following legislation:
  • S.3474, to amend title 44, United States Code, to enhance information security of the Federal Government
  • S.3384, to amend section 11317 of title 40, United States Code, to require greater accountability for cost overruns on Federal IT investment projects
  • H.R.2631, to strengthen efforts in the Department of Homeland Security to develop nuclear forensics capabilities to permit attribution of the source of nuclear material,
  • H.R.6098, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to improve the financial assistance provided to State, local, and tribal governments for information sharing activities
  • H.R.3815, to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to make full and efficient use of open source information to develop and disseminate open source homeland security information products
  • S.3176, to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide mental health and substance abuse services, an original bill to establish a controlled unclassified information framework
  • H.R.6073, to provide that Federal employees receiving their pay by electronic funds transfer shall be given the option of receiving their pay stubs electronically, to amend title 5, United States Code, to provide for 8 weeks of paid leave for Federal employees giving birth
  • S.3350, to provide that claims of the United States to certain documents relating to Franklin Delano Roosevelt shall be treated as waived and relinquished in certain circumstances
  • S.3477, to amend title 44, United States Code, to authorize grants for Presidential Centers of Historical Excellence
The committee will also consider the following nominations:
  • Ruth Y. Goldway, of California, to be a Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission
  • Carol Waller Pope, of the District of Columbia, and Thomas M. Beck, of Virginia, both to be a Member of the Federal Labor Relations Authority.
Sep 23, 2008 at 02:30 pm: Hearings to examine the elements of the federal government responsible for coordinating our public diplomacy, including their respective missions, organizational structures, workforce, and management. (Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia Subcommittee)

Sep 24, 2008 at 10:00 am: Hearings to examine domestic partner benefits for federal employees.

Sep 24, 2008 at 02:30 pm: Hearings to examine the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) future preparedness planning. (State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration Subcommittee)

Sep 25, 2008 at 09:30 am: Hearings to examine ways to prevent nuclear terrorism, focusing on hard lessons learned from troubled investments.

Sep 25, 2008 at 02:30 pm: Hearings to examine addressing cost growth of major Department of Defense (DOD) weapons systems. (Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security Subcommittee)

Indian Affairs

Sep 25, 2008 at 02:15 pm: Business meeting to consider the following legislation:
  • S. 514: Muscogee Nation of Florida Federal Recognition Act
  • S. 724: Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians Restoration Act of 2007
  • H.R. 1294: Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2007
  • S. 1058: Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians of Michigan Referral Act
Intelligence

Sep 23, 2008 at 02:30 pm: Hearings to examine the new Attorney General guidelines for domestic intelligence collection.

Sep 25, 2008 at 02:30 pm: Hearings to examine the nomination of J. Patrick Rowan, of Maryland, to be an Assistant Attorney General.

Judiciary

Sep 23, 2008 at 10:00 am: Hearings to examine equal pay for equal work.

Sep 23, 2008 at 3:00 pm: The committee will consider the following nominations:
  • Anthony J. Trenga to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia
  • C. Darnell Jones II to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • Mitchell S. Goldberg to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • Joel H. Slomsky to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
  • Eric F. Melgren to be United States District Judge for the District of Kansas
Sep 24, 2008 at 10:45 am Hearings to examine extracting natural resources, focusing on corporate responsibility and the rule of law. (Human Rights and the Law Subcommittee)

Sep 24, 2008 at 02:30 pm: Hearings to examine the Visa Waiver Program, focusing on mitigating risks to ensure the safety of all Americans. (Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security Subcommittee)

Sep 25, 2008 at 10:00 am: Hearings to examine the following legislation:
  • S. 3501: A bill to ensure that Congress is notified when the Department of Justice determines that the Executive Branch is not bound by a statute
  • S.3259, to amend title 11, United States Code, with respect to the priority of certain high cost credit debts
  • H.R.3971, to encourage States to report to the Attorney General certain information regarding the deaths of individuals in the custody of law enforcement agencies
The committee will also consider the following nominations:
  • Clark Waddoups to be United States District Judge for the District of Utah
  • Michael M. Anello to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of California
  • Mary Stenson Scriven to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida
  • Christine M. Arguello to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado
  • Philip A. Brimmer to be United States District Judge for the District of Colorado
  • Gregory G. Garre of Maryland, to be Solicitor General of the United States
  • George W. Venables to be United States Marshal for the Southern District of California
  • A. Brian Albritton to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida
  • Dennis Michael Klein to be United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky

Rules and Administration

Sep 25, 2008 at 02:30 pm: The committee will meet to consider the following nominations:
  • Gracia M. Hillman, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission
  • Donetta Davidson, of Colorado, to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission
  • Rosemary E. Rodriguez, of Colorado, to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission
  • Gineen Bresso Beach, of New York, to be a Member of the Election Assistance Commission for the remainder of the term expiring December 12, 2009.
Veterans' Affairs

Sep 23, 2008 at 10:00 am: Business meeting to consider the nomination of Patrick W. Dunne, of New York, to be Under Secretary for Benefits of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Sep 24, 2008 at 09:30 am: Oversight hearings to examine cooperation and collaboration by the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense on information technology efforts.

posted by Bob Geiger at 9/22/2008 12:10:00 AM