Coming Up This Week in Congress: Immigration, Stem Cells and Afghanistan

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Both the House and Senate are in session this week, with each chamber expected to debate and consider several important bills and resolutions. Highlights include:

• The Senate will continue to debate a comprehensive immigration bill. Amendments expected to be introduced include several making it easier for employers or family members to sponsor green card applicants and one which would permanently ban immigrants who have received deportation notices from obtaining visas.
• The House is expected to consider a Senate-passed bill which would lift President Bush’s 2001 ban on federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. The House passed a similar stem-cell bill in January, but the Senate version includes additional language promoting alternative types of stem-cell research.
• The House will take up the 10,000 Trained by 2010 Act, which would authorize the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award grants to higher education institutions that develop and offer educational and training programs for healthcare workers and professionals in new medical information technologies.
• The House will consider the Afghanistan Freedom and Security Support Act (AFSSA), which would authorize $1.6 billion per year over the next three years for economic and security assistance programs in Afghanistan.

After the jump is a full listing of this week's Senate hearings, courtesy of GovTrack. The House is not in session until Tuesday (June 5), so hearings have not yet been made available.

June 5, 2007

• Senate Energy and Natural Resources
  To hold hearings to examine the preparedness of the federal land management agencies for the 2007 wildfire season and efforts to contain the costs of wildfire management activities. [SD-366] -- Jun 5, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs – Investigations
  To hold hearings to examine executive stock options, focusing on the Internal Revenue Service [SD-342] -- Jun 5, 2007 at 9 a.m.
• Senate Intelligence
  To hold closed hearings to examine certain intelligence matters. [SH-219] -- Jun 5, 2007 at 2:30 p.m.
• Senate Judiciary
  To hold hearings to examine the federal role to work with communities to prevent and respond to gang violence, focusing on S. 456, to increase and enhance law enforcement resources committed to investigation and prosecution of violent gangs, to deter and punish violent gang crime, to protect law-abiding citizens and communities from violent criminals, to revise and enhance criminal penalties for violent crimes, to expand and improve gang prevention programs. [SD-226] -- Jun 5, 2007 at 10 a.m.
  S. 456: A bill to increase and enhance law enforcement resources committed to investigation and prosecution of violent gangs, to deter and punish violent gang crime, to protect law-abiding citizens and communities from violent criminals, to revise and enhance criminal penalties for violent crimes, to expand and improve gang prevention programs, and for other purposes.
• Senate Judiciary
  To continue hearings to examine the Department of Justice politicizing the hiring and firing of United States Attorneys, focusing on preserving prosecutorial independence. [SD-226] -- Jun 5, 2007 at 2:30 p.m.

June 6, 2007

• Senate Appropriations – Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
  To hold hearings to examine enhancing college access through Department of Education programs. [SD-124] -- Jun 6, 2007 at 9:45 a.m.
• Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
  To hold hearings to examine paying for a college education, focusing on the role of private student lending. [SD-538] -- Jun 6, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources – Water and Power
  To hold hearings to examine the impact of climate change on water supply and availability in the United States. [SD-366] -- Jun 6, 2007 at 2:30 p.m.
• Senate Environment and Public Works
  Business meeting to consider S.506, to improve efficiency in the Federal Government through the use of high-performance green buildings, H.R.1195, to amend the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users to make technical corrections, H.R.798, to direct the Administrator of General Services to install a photovoltaic system for the headquarters building of the Department of Energy, S.635, to provide for a research program for remediation of closed methamphetamine production laboratories, and S.1523, to amend the Clean Air Act to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from the Capitol power plant. [SD-406] -- Jun 6, 2007 at 10 a.m.
  S. 506: A bill to improve efficiency in the Federal Government through the use of high-performance green buildings, and for other purposes.
  H.R. 1195: To amend the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users to make technical corrections, and for other purposes.
  H.R. 798: To direct the Administrator of General Services to install a photovoltaic system for the headquarters building of the Department of Energy.
  S. 635: A bill to provide for a research program for remediation of closed methamphetamine production laboratories, and for other purposes.
  S. 1523: A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from the Capitol power plant.
• Senate Judiciary
  To hold hearings to examine patent reform, focusing on the future of American innovation. [SD-226] -- Jun 6, 2007 at 10 a.m.

June 7, 2007

• Senate Armed Services
  To hold hearings to examine the nomination of Lieutenant General Douglas E. Lute, USA, to be Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan. [SH-216] -- Jun 7, 2007 at 9:30 a.m.
• Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation – Space, Aeronautics, and Related Agencies
  To hold joint hearings with the House Science and Technology Committee's Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight to examine the investigation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Inspector General. [SR-253] -- Jun 7, 2007 at 2 p.m.
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources
  To hold hearings to examine alternative energy-related uses on the outer continental shelf, focusing on opportunities, issues, and implementation of Section 388 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58). [SD-366] -- Jun 7, 2007 at 9:30 a.m.
• Senate Environment and Public Works
  To hold hearings to examine the views of religious organizations regarding global warming. [SD-406] -- Jun 7, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs – Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia
  To hold hearings to examine the acquisition organization of the Department of Homeland Security. [SD-342] -- Jun 7, 2007 at 2:30 p.m.
• Senate Indian Affairs
  To hold oversight hearings to examine transportation issues in Indian country. [SR-485] -- Jun 7, 2007 at 9:30 a.m.
• Senate Intelligence
  To hold closed hearings to examine certain intelligence matters. [SH-219] -- Jun 7, 2007 at 2:30 p.m.
• Senate Judiciary
  Business meeting to consider S.720, to amend title 4, United States Code, to authorize the Governor of a State, territory, or possession of the United States to order that the National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, or possession in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces from that State, territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty, H.R.692, to amend title 4, United States Code, to authorize the Governor of a State, territory, or possession of the United States to orderthat the National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, or possession in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces from that State, territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty, S.535, to establish an Unsolved Crimes Section in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and an Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Investigative Office in the Civil Rights Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, S.456, to increase and enhance law enforcement resources committed to investigation and prosecution of violent gangs, to deter and punish violent gang crime, to protect law-abiding citizens and communities from violent criminals, to revise and enhance criminal penalties for violent crimes, to expand and improve gang prevention programs, S.Res.171, memorializing fallen firefighters by lowering the United States flag to half-staff on the day of the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service in Emmitsburg, Maryland, S.185, to restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States, S.Res.82, designating August 16, 2007 as August 11, 2007, as “National Marina Day”, and the nominations of Leslie Southwick, of Mississippi, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit, and Robert James Jonker, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Michigan. [SD-226] -- Jun 7, 2007 at 10 a.m.
  S. 720: A bill to amend title 4, United States Code, to authorize the Governor of a State, territory, or possession of the United States to order that the National flag be flown at half-staff in that State, territory, or possession in the event of the death of a member of the Armed Forces from that State, territory, or possession who dies while serving on active duty.
  H.R. 692: Army Specialist Joseph P. Micks Federal Flag Code Amendment Act of 2007.
  S. 535: A bill to establish an Unsolved Crimes Section in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, and an Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Investigative Office in the Civil Rights Unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and for other purposes.
  S. 456: A bill to increase and enhance law enforcement resources committed to investigation and prosecution of violent gangs, to deter and punish violent gang crime, to protect law-abiding citizens and communities from violent criminals, to revise and enhance criminal penalties for violent crimes, to expand and improve gang prevention programs, and for other purposes.
  S. Res. 171: A resolution memorializing fallen firefighters by lowering the United States flag to half-staff on the day of the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
  S. 185: A bill to restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States.
  S. Res. 82: A resolution designating August 16, 2007 as "National Airborne Day."
• Senate Judiciary
  To hold hearings to examine S.453, to prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections. [SD-226] -- Jun 7, 2007 at 2 p.m.
  S. 453: A bill to prohibit deceptive practices in Federal elections.