Congresspedia Preview: This Week in Congress (March. 7 - 14, 2008)

by Conor Kenny — March 10, 2008 - 3:23pm
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There’s five days remaining before a two-week spring recess, and Congress will probably remain bitterly divided as it continues work on the 2009 federal budget. Also this week, a March 15 deadline is fast approaching for some type of agreement on the long-delayed Farm bill, while lawmakers will question the Air Force over a recent contract for airborne fuel-tankers, and discuss proposed cuts to a popular community revitalization program.

The tax cuts pushed by President Bush earlier in this term aren’t set to expire for another two years, but they’re figuring heavily into discussions in the 2009 federal budget. The cuts extend to some middle-income brackets and were approved with bipartisan support. However, they automatically sunset in 2010.

While Democrats haven’t signaled whether they would let the cuts expire at that time, the budget resolutions working their way through the House and Senate are based on Congressional Budget Office guidelines. Since the CBO relies on current law for projections, the House and Senate resolutions assume some additional revenue would be generated when the cuts expire.

Republicans will be quick to jump at an opportunity to blame the majority for any spending supported by new taxes. That presents a problem for House and Senate Democrats, who respectively have included $12 billion and $18 billion in increases for domestic programs.

President Bush has vowed to veto any budget bills that exceed his proposal, setting up a repeat of the 2008 budget, when continuing resolutions were used to keep the government running while Congress and the White House battled over appropriations bills.

For more, including committee schedules, keep reading after the break:

Last year, the Defense appropriations bill was the first spending legislation to be approved in Congress and by the White House. Right now, it will take center stage again, when a House committee on Armed Services oversight examines a statement issued by President Bush when he signed the bill. At the time, the president said he would ignore four provisions of the legislation.

In other defense-related news, a $40 billion contract for new Air Force aerial refueling tankers is in jeopardy due to congressional concerns. The contract – awarded to Northrop Grumman and European Aeronautic Defense and Space – is for 179 new tankers, and was the subject of two hearings on Capitol Hill last week. Reps. John Murtha (D-Pa.) and Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) were among the members to question the contract, which many expected to be awarded to Boeing. Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee, called for a closed-door hearing on the contract tomorrow.

A six-month continuance of the 2002 Farm bill extension expires on Saturday, and senators and representatives are still trying to work out their differences on the 2007 Farm bill. And while jurisdiction of the legislation is causing a tiff between the Senate Finance Committee and the House and Senate Agriculture committees, the White House has also weighed in on a measure to increase spending by $10 billion, further complicating the process.

Returning to the budget, the House Financial Services Committee will call on Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson Tuesday. He’ll likely be grilled on President Bush’s budget proposal, which calls for $900 million in spending cuts for the Community Development Block Grant program.

Finally, Illinois Democrat Bil Foster was elected to fill the remaining term of former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R). Foster defeated Republican Jim Oberweis, though the two will square off again during the November general election.

Another special election will be held Tuesday for Julia Carson's seat. Carson passed away last year. Her grandson, Indianapolis council member Andre Carson, will face Republican Jonathan Elrod, an Indiana state representative.

Combined Senate and House Committee Meetings for the week of 3/10 to 3/14

Hearings Schedules:
March 11, 2008

Senate

House

March 12, 2008

Senate

  • Senate Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
    To receive a briefing on the current readiness of the armed forces of the United States. 9:30 a.m. [SH-219]
  • Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
    Business meeting to consider H.R.3247, to improve the provision of disaster assistance for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, H.R.3179, to amend title 40, United States Code, to authorize the use of Federal supply schedules for the acquisition of law enforcement, security, and certain other related items by State and local governments, S.2606, to reauthorize the United States Fire Administration, S.789, to prevent abuse of Government credit cards, S.2291, to enhance citizen access to Government information and services by establishing plain language as the standard style of Government documents issued to the public, S.2420, to encourage the donation of excess food to nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to food-insecure people in the United States in contracts entered into by executive agencies for the provision, service, or sale of food, S.2534, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2650 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, as the “Julia M. Carson Post Office Building”, H.R.4210, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 401 Washington Avenue in Weldon, North Carolina, as the “Dock M. Brown Post Office Building”, H.R.4342, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 824 Manatee Avenue West in Bradenton, Florida, as the “Dan Miller Post Office Building”, H.R.3720, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 424 Clay Avenue in Waco, Texas, as the “Army PFC Juan Alonso Covarrubias Post Office Building”, H.R.3988, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3701 Altamesa Boulevard in Fort Worth, Texas, as the “Master Sergeant Kenneth N. Mack Post Office Building”, H.R.4211, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 725 Roanoke Avenue in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, as the “Judge Richard B. Allsbrook Post Office”, H.R.4240, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10799 West Alameda Avenue in Lakewood, Colorado, as the “Felix Sparks Post Office Building”, S.2622, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 11001 Dunklin Road in St. Louis, Missouri, as the “William 'Bill' Clay Post Office”, S.2626, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 160 East Washington Street in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, as the “Sergeant Michael M. Kashkoush Post Office Building”, H.R.3468, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1704 Weeksville Road in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the “Dr. Clifford Bell Jones, Sr. Post Office”, H.R.3532, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5815 McLeod Street in Lula, Georgia, as the “Private Johnathon Millican Lula Post Office”, H.R.4203, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3035 Stone Mountain Street in Lithonia, Georgia, as the Office Building”, H.R.5135, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 West Greenway Street in Derby, Kansas, as the “Sergeant Jamie O. Maugans Post Office Building”, and the nomination of Harvey E. Johnson, Jr., of Virginia, to be Deputy Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security.
    • H.R. 3247: Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Recovery Facilitation Act of 2007
    • H.R. 3179: Local Preparedness Acquisition Act
    • S. 2606: United States Fire Administration Reauthorization Act of 2008
    • S. 789: Government Credit Card Abuse Prevention Act of 2007
    • S. 2291: Plain Language in Government Communications Act of 2007
    • S. 2420: Federal Food Donation Act of 2007
    • S. 2534: A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 2650 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, as the "Julia M. Carson Post Office Building"
    • H.R. 4210: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 401 Washington Avenue in Weldon, North Carolina, as the "Dock M. Brown Post Office Building"
    • H.R. 4342: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 824 Manatee Avenue West in Bradenton, Florida, as the "Dan Miller Post Office Building"
    • H.R. 3720: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 424 Clay Avenue in Waco, Texas, as the "Army PFC Juan Alonso Covarrubias Post Office Building"
    • H.R. 3988: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3701 Altamesa Boulevard in Fort Worth, Texas, as the "Master Sergeant Kenneth N. Mack Post Office Building"
    • H.R. 4211: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 725 Roanoke Avenue in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, as the "Judge Richard B. Allsbrook Post Office"
    • H.R. 4240: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10799 West Alameda Avenue in Lakewood, Colorado, as the "Felix Sparks Post Office Building"
    • S. 2622: A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 11001 Dunklin Road in St. Louis, Missouri, as the "William 'Bill' Clay Post Office"
    • S. 2626: A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 160 East Washington Street in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, as the "Sergeant Michael M. Kashkoush Post Office Building"
    • H.R. 3468: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1704 Weeksville Road in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the "Dr. Clifford Bell Jones, Sr. Post Office"
    • H.R. 3532: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5815 McLeod Street in Lula, Georgia, as the "Private Johnathon Millican Lula Post Office"
    • H.R. 4203: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3035 Stone Mountain Street in Lithonia, Georgia, as the "Specialist Jamaal RaShard Addison Post Office Building"
    • H.R. 5135: To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 201 West Greenway Street in Derby, Kansas, as the "Sergeant Jamie O. Maugans Post Office Building"

    10 a.m. [SD-342]

  • Senate Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces
    To hold hearings to examine strategic forces programs in review of the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009 and the future years defense program. 10 a.m. [SR-232A]
  • Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
    To hold hearings to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Housing and Urban Development and conduct oversight. 10 a.m. [SD-538]
  • Senate Committee on Rules and Administration
    To hold hearings to examine issues relative to in-person voter fraud and voter disenfranchisement. 10 a.m. [SR-301]
  • Senate Committee on Finance
    To hold hearings to examine alternatives to the current federal estate tax system. 10 a.m. [SD-215]
  • Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
    Business meeting to consider an original bill entitled, to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2009 through 2013 to provide assistance to foreign countries to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.
    • S. 2009: A bill to authorize additional funds for emergency repairs and reconstruction of the Interstate I-35 bridge located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that collapsed on August 1, 2007, to waive the $100,000,000 limitation on emergency relief funds for those emergency repairs and reconstruction, and for other purposes.

10:15 a.m. [SD-419]

  • Senate Special Committee on Aging
    To hold hearings relative to doctors and prescription drug information and reviews. 10:30 a.m. [SD-562]
  • Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Defense
    To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the Air Force. 10:30 a.m. [SD-192]
  • Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism
    To hold hearings to examine the gross domestic product as a measurement of national strength. 1:30 p.m. [SR-253]
  • Senate Committee on the Judiciary
    To hold hearings to examine Generation Rx, focusing on the abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. [SD-226]
  • Senate Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Seapower
    To hold hearings to examine the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009, for the strategic lift programs, and the future years defense program. 2 p.m. [SR-222]
  • Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
    To hold hearings to examine hardrock mining, focusing on issues relating to abandoned mine lands and uranium mining. 2:15 p.m. [SD-366]
  • Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
    Closed business meeting to consider pending calendar business. 2:30 p.m. [SH-219]
  • Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
    To hold hearings to examine the United States and Vietnam, focusing on the bilateral relationship. 2:30 p.m. [SD-419]
  • Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security
    To hold hearings to examine agencies in peril, focusing on protecting federal information technology and secure sensitive information. 2:30 p.m. [SD-342]
  • Senate Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support
    To hold hearings to examine the defense authorization request for fiscal year 2009, the future years defense program, and military installation, environmental, and base closure programs. 2:30 p.m. [SR-232A]
  • Senate Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
    To hold hearings to examine technologies to combat weapons of mass destruction. 2:30 p.m. [SD-106]
  • Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
    To hold hearings to examine proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2009 for the federal judiciary. 3 p.m. [SD-138]

    • House

    March 13, 2008

    Senate

    House

    March 14, 2008

    Senate

    House