Coming Up This Week in Congress (Week of Sept. 10th, 2007)

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The marquee events in Congress this week will be the hearings in both chambers of Congress with testimony from General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker on the Iraq War. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will also hear testimony from Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and FBI Director Robert Mueller on the July National Intelligence Estimate, which claimed that Al-Quaeda had largely rebuilt itself to pre-Afghanistan War levels. Most of these hearings, whose schedules are listed below, are available for live viewing via C-SPAN.

Also on the Senate's agenda is the $104.7 billion Transportation-Housing and Urban Development Fiscal Year 2008 funding bill, which currently exceeds President Bush's budget request by $3.1 billion and may receive a veto threat from him. With the beginning of Rosh Hashana on Wednesday evening, business in the Capitol will largely cease for the week.

Hearings Schedules:

September 10, 2007

House

• House Committee on Armed Services and House Committee on Foreign Affairs
  Joint hearing on the status of the war and political developments in Iraq, 12:30 p.m., 345 Cannon. Includes testimony from General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker.
• House Committee on Education and Labor
  Hearing on proposals to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, 10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn.

Senate

• Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs
  To hold hearings to examine confronting the terrorist threat to the Homeland, six years after 9/11. [SD-342] Includes testimony from Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and FBI Director Robert Mueller. -- Sep 10, 2007 at 9:30 a.m.

September 11, 2007

House

• House Committee on Science and Technology
  Hearing on Bridge Safety: Next Steps To Protect the Nation's Critical Infrastructure, 10 a.m., 2318 Rayburn.
• House Committee on Small Business
  Hearing on SBA Contracting Programs, 10 a.m., 2360 Rayburn.
• House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure- Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management
  Hearing on Readiness in the Post-Katrina and Post-9/11 World: An Evaluation of the New National Response Framework, 10 a.m., 2167 Rayburn.

Senate

• Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
  To hold hearings to examine Iraq, focusing on the Crocker-Petraeus report. [SH-216] Includes testimony from General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker.-- Sep 11, 2007 at 9:30 a.m.
• Senate Committee on Appropriations -- Defense
  Business meeting to markup H.R.3222, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008. [SD-192] -- Sep 11, 2007 at 10 a.m.
  H.R. 3222: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2008
• Senate Committee on the Budget
  To hold hearings to examine health care and the federal budget, focusing on options for achieving universal health coverage. [SD-608] -- Sep 11, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Senate Committee on Finance
  To hold hearings to examine the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement. [SD-215] -- Sep 11, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Senate Armed Services Committee
  To hold hearings to examine the situation in Iraq, focusing on the progress made by the Government of Iraq in meeting benchmarks. Includes testimony from General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. [SH-216] -- Sep 11, 2007 at 2 p.m.
• Senate Foreign Relations Committee
  Business meeting to consider S.968, to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide increased assistance for the prevention, treatment, and control of tuberculosis, S.805, to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to assist countries in sub-Saharan Africa in the effort to achieve internationally recognized goals in the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS and other major diseases and the reduction of maternal and child mortality by improving human health care capacity and improving retention of medical health professionals in sub-Saharan Africa, S.1839, to require periodic reports on claims related to acts of terrorism against Americans perpetrated or supported by the Government of Libya, S.2020, to reauthorize the Tropical Forest Coral Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2007, H.R.1678, to amend the Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998 to authorize appropriations to provide assistance for domestic and foreign programs and centers for the treatment of victims of torture, patent Law Treaty and Regulations Under the Patent Law Treaty (the “Treaty”), done at Geneva on June 1, 2000, between the Governments of 53 countries including the United States of America (Treaty Doc.109-12), the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (the and signed by the United States on July 6, 1999 Law of Trademarks (Treaty Doc.110-2), Protocol to the 1951 Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation between the United States and Denmark Henrietta Holsman Fore, of Nevada, to be Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, Harry K. Thomas, Jr., of New York, to be Director General of the Foreign Service, Nancy Goodman Brinker, of Florida, to be Chief of Protocol, and to have the rank of Ambassador during her tenure of service, and Ned L. Siegel, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. -- Sep 11, 2007 at 2:15 p.m.
  S. 968: Stop Tuberculosis (TB) Now Act of 2007
  S. 805: African Health Capacity Investment Act of 2007
  S. 1839: A bill to require periodic reports on claims related to acts of terrorism against Americans perpetrated or supported by the Government of Libya
  S. 2020: A bill to reauthorize the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 through fiscal year 2010, to rename the Tropical Forest Conservation Act of 1998 as "The Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Act of 2007", and for other purposes
  H.R. 1678: Torture Victims Relief Reauthorization Act of 2007
• Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
  To hold closed hearings to examine certain intelligence matters. [SH-219] -- Sep 11, 2007 at 2:30 p.m.
• Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources -- National Parks
  Business meeting to consider S.127, to amend the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000 to explain the purpose and provide for the administration of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge, S.327 and H.R.359, bills to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of sites associated with the life of Cesar Estrada Chavez and the farm labor movement, S.868, to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the Taunton River in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, S.1051, to authorize National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. to establish a memorial on Federal land in the District of Columbia at Constitution Gardens previously approved to honor free persons and slaves who fought for independence, liberty, and justice for all during the American Revolution, S.1184 and H.R.1021, bills to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources study regarding the suitability and feasibility of designating certain historic buildings and areas in Taunton, Massachusetts, as a unit of the National Park System, S.1247, to amend the Weir Farm National Historic Site Establishment Act of 1990 to limit the development of any property acquired by the Secretary of the Interior for the development of visitor and administrative facilities for the Weir Farm National Historic Site, S.1304, to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Arizona National Scenic Trail, S.1329, to extend the Acadia National Park Advisory Commission, to provide improved visitor services at the park, H.R.807, to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to determine the feasibility and suitability of establishing a memorial to the Space Shuttle Columbia in the State of Texasand for its inclusion as a unit of the National Park System, and H.R.759, to redesignate the Ellis Island Library on the third floor of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, located on Ellis Island in New York Harbor, as the “Bob Hope Memorial Library”. [SD-366] -- Sep 11, 2007 at 2:30 p.m.
  S. 127: A bill to amend the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve Act of 2000 to explain the purpose and provide for the administration of the Baca National Wildlife Refuge
  S. 327: Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act
  H.R. 359: Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act
  S. 868: A bill to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate segments of the Taunton River in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System
  S. 1051: National Liberty Memorial Act
  S. 1184: A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resources study regarding the suitability and feasibility of designating certain historic buildings and areas in Taunton, Massachusetts, as a unit of the National Park System, and for other purposes
  H.R. 1021: Taunton, Massachusetts Special Resources Study Act
  S. 1247: Weir Farm National Historic Site Amendment Act
  S. 1304: Arizona National Scenic Trail Act
  S. 1329: Acadia National Park Improvement Act of 2007
  H.R. 807: Columbia Space Shuttle Memorial Study Act
  H.R. 759: To redesignate the Ellis Island Library on the third floor of the Ellis Island Immigration Museum, located on Ellis Island in New York Harbor, as the "Bob Hope Memorial Library"

September 12, 2007

House

• House Committee on Education and Labor
  September 12, hearing on Why Weren't 9/11 Recovery Workers Protected at the World Trade Center? 10 a.m., 2175 Rayburn.

Senate

• Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation -- Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism
  To hold hearings to examine the Federal Trade Commission Reauthorization. [SR-253] -- Sep 12, 2007 at 9:30 a.m.
• Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
  To hold hearings to examine S.2017, to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide for national energy efficiency standards for general service incandescent lamps. [SD-366] -- Sep 12, 2007 at 10 a.m.
  S. 2017: A bill to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide for national energy efficiency standards for general service incandescent lamps, and for other purposes
• Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
  To hold hearings to examine the nomination of Julie L. Myers, of Kansas, to be Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security. [SD-342] -- Sep 12, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Senate Appropriations Committee
  Business meeting to markup H.R.3222, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending
• September 30, 2008. [SD-106] -- Sep 12, 2007 at 10 a.m.
  H.R. 3222: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2008
• Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
  To hold a hearing to examine the nomination of Robert Charles Tapella, of Virginia, to be Public Printer for the Government Printing Office. [SR-301] -- Sep 12, 2007 at 10 a.m.
• Senate Judiciary Committee
  To hold hearings to examine regulatory preemption relating to federal agencies usurping congressional and state authority. [SD-226] -- Sep 12, 2007 at 11 a.m.
• Senate Appropriations Committee -- Financial Services and General Government
  To hold hearings to examine enhancing the safety of toy's relating to lead paint, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and toy safety standards. [SD-192] -- Sep 12, 2007 at 11 a.m.