Congresspedia Preview: This Week in Congress (Feb. 9 - 15, 2008)

Submitted by Conor Kenny on

With the Senate approving an economic package last week, it looks like Congress can now return to some issues that were put on hold while the stimulus plan was crafted.

For example, while both the House and Senate approved a Farm bill last year, the chambers never met to iron out their differences. Earlier his month, the Senate announced conferees, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is expected to do the same tomorrow.

One possible snag may be subsidies for farmers: President Bush has threatened a veto if subsidies are included for individuals making more than $200,000 per year. Another might be the Sen. Finance Committee: Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) wants to check the bill for tax loopholes that can be closed.

A quick update on FISA, the FARM bill and the budget are after the break, along with committee schedules.

After months of delays, negotiation and plain old politicking, the Senate appears poised to approve a reform of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The chamber has been embroiled in deliberations since the beginning of the year regarding the RESTORE Act, legislation that overhauls the 1978 FISA system. The House approved its version of the bill in 2007.

Last week, senators voted down several amendments offered by Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Minn.), but three remaining amendments are the most contentious. They deal with the question of legal immunity for telephone companies that helped the government listen in on Americans’ phone conversations.

One amendment would allow the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to determine whether civil suits filed against the phone companies should proceed. A second would allow the government to be substituted for the telecoms as a defendant, and the third would strip immunity from the bill all together.

The House version of the bill does not offer immunity, and includes tougher oversight of the intelligence agencies’ wiretapping activities. Bush has threatened to veto any bill that doesn’t contain immunity.

A week ago, the news was dominated by the president’s proposed FY 2009 federal budget, which totaled more than $3 trillion and expanded military spending at the expense of domestic programs. Administration officials received a cold reception on Capitol Hill when presenting the proposal to Congress, and Treasury Secretary Robert Paulson can likely expect more of the same when he appears before the House Budget Committee.

While Congress hasn’t necessarily welcomed the budget with open arms, the administration has a likely ally in House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.). Defense Sec. Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Michael Mullen will appear before the subcommittee Wednesday, and Murtha will probably champion defense spending above and beyond that proposed by the administration. Specifically, Murtha will call for the construction of more cargo planes and Navy ships.

Here are the committee hearings scheduled for this week in Congress:

February 12, 2008

Senate

  • Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs
    To continue oversight hearings to examine veterans disability compensation, to hold hearings to examine the President's proposed budget for fiscal year 2009, proposed budget for fiscal year 2009, 9:30 a.m., [SD-215]
  • Senate Committee on Armed Services
    To hold hearings to examine Air Force nuclear security; to be followed by a closed session in SR-222, To hold hearings to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for the Federal Aviation Administration, defense and war costs, 9:30 a.m., [SD-608]
  • Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
    To hold hearings to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works Program, and the implementation of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007, 10 a.m., [SD-406]
  • Senate Committee on the Judiciary
    To hold hearings to examine the nominations of James Randal Hall, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Georgia, Richard H. Honaker, to be United States District Judge for the District of Wyoming, Gustavus Adolphus Puryear IV, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Tennessee, and Brian Stacy Miller, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas. 10 a.m. [SD-226]
  • Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
    To hold closed hearings to examine certain intelligence matters. 2:30 p.m. [SH-219]
  • Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
    To hold hearings to examine ways to address healthcare workforce issues for the future. 2:30 p.m. [SD-106]
  • Senate Committee on the Judiciary – Crime and Drugs
    To hold hearings to examine federal cocaine sentencing laws, focusing on reforming the 100-to-1 crack/powder disparity. 2:30 p.m. [SD-226]

House

February 13, 2008

Senate

House

February 14, 2008

Senate

  • Senate Committee on Armed Services
    To hold hearings to examine the strategy in Afghanistan, focusing on reports by the Afghanistan Study Group and the Atlantic Council of the United States. 9:30 a.m. [SD-106]
  • Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
    To hold hearings to examine the nomination of John J. Sullivan, of Maryland, to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce. 9:30 a.m. [SR-253]
  • Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
    To hold an oversight hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for tribal programs. 9:30 a.m. [SD-628]
  • Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
    To hold hearings to examine the President's proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Agriculture Forest Service. 9:30 a.m. [SD-366]
  • Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs - Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia
    To hold hearings to examine ways to build and strengthen the Federal acquisition workforce. 9:45 a.m. [SD-342]
  • Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
    To hold hearings to examine the current state of the United States economy and financial matters. 10 a.m. [SR-325]
  • Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
    Business meeting to consider S.579, to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to make grants for the development and operation of research centers regarding environmental factors that may be related to the etiology of breast cancer, S.1810, to amend the Public Health Service Act to increase the provision of scientifically sound information and support services to patients receiving a positive test diagnosis for Down syndrome or other prenatally and postnatally diagnosed conditions, S.999, to amend the Public Health Service Act to improve stroke prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, S.1760, to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the Healthy Start Initiative, H.R.20, to provide for research on, and services for individuals with, postpartum depression and psychosis, and S.1042, to amend the Public Health Service Act to make the provision of technical services for medical imaging examinations and radiation therapy treatments safer, more accurate, and less costly, and any pending nominations.
    • S. 579: Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2007
    • S. 1810: Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act
    • S. 999: Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act of 2007
    • S. 1760: Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007
    • H.R. 20: Melanie Blocker-Stokes Postpartum Depression Research and Care Act
    • S. 1042: Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility, and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act of 2007

      • 10 a.m. [SD-430]

  • Senate Committee on the Judiciary
    Business meeting to consider S.2304, to amend title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide grants for the improved mental health treatment and services provided to offenders with mental illnesses, S.2449, to amend chapter 111 of title 28, United States Code, relating to protective orders, sealing of cases, disclosures of discovery information in civil actions, S.352, to provide for media coverage of Federal court proceedings, S.2136, to address the treatment of primary mortgages in bankruptcy, S.2133, to authorize bankruptcy courts to take certain actions with respect to mortgage loans in bankruptcy, and the nominations of Kevin J. O'Connor, of Connecticut, to be Associate Attorney General, and Gregory G. Katsas, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Attorney General, both of the Department of Justice.
    • S. 2304: Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act of 2007
    • S. 2449: Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2007
    • S. 352: Sunshine in the Courtroom Act of 2007
    • S. 2136: Helping Families Save Their Homes in Bankruptcy Act of 2007
    • S. 2133: Home Owners "Mortgage and Equity Savings Act"

      • 10 a.m. [SD-226]:

  • Senate Committee on the Budget
    To hold hearings to examine health care and the budget, focusing on information technology and health care reform. 10 a.m. [SD-608]
  • Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
    To hold hearings to examine S.1499, to amend the Clean Air Act to reduce air pollution from marine vessels. S. 1499: Marine Vessel Emissions Reduction Act of 2007, 10 a.m. [SD-406]
  • Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
    To hold hearings to examine one year to digital television transition, focusing on consumers, broadcasters, and converter boxes. 10 a.m. [SR-253]
  • Senate Finance Committee
    To hold hearings to examine international aspects of a carbon cap and trade program. 10 a.m. [SD-215]
  • House Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
    To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Environmental Protection Agency. 10 a.m. [SD-124]
  • Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
    Business meeting to consider pending calendar business. 10:15 a.m.
  • Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
    To hold hearings to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Homeland Security. 1:30 p.m. [SD-342]
  • Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
    To hold hearings to examine the Director of National Intelligence authorities. 2:30 p.m. [SH-216]
  • Senate Committee on Armed Services
    To continue hearings to examine the strategy in Afghanistan, focusing on reports by the Afghanistan Study Group and the Atlantic Council of the United States. 2:30 p.m. [SD-106]

House

February 15, 2008
House

This Week In Congress

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