Lawmakers will fit in a few defense and veterans hearings this week around President Obama's already scheduled annual State of the Union address and subsequent congressional party retreats.

Both the House and Senate foreign relations committees will focus on the recent nuclear test in North Korea, and its possible effects on security in the Pacific region.

Lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee will discuss ongoing commissary reform efforts.

Officials on the Senate Armed Services Committee were to resume work on Tricare reform efforts but announced Monday they were postponing until an unannounced date.

In the background, members of Congress also are gearing up for the White House's release of its fiscal 2017 federal budget plan, scheduled for Feb. 9, and the months of debate that will follow.

Monday

Senate Foreign Relations — 5 p.m. — Visitors Center S217

Closed hearing

Committee members will receive a classified briefing on the recent North Korea nuclear event.

Tuesday

House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — Rayburn 2118

Islamic State group response

Former CIA director Michael Morell, former defense undersecretary Michael Vickers and former Syrian ambassador Robert Ford testify on ways to deal with instability in the Middle East.

Senate Armed Services — 10 a.m. — Dirksen G50

Health care reform

Outside health care experts testify before the committee about possible Tricare reforms and changes in military medical care delivery.

House Veterans’ Affairs — 10:30 a.m. — Cannon 334

Benefits technology

Committee members will review money spent on technology to deal with benefits and the reduction of the claims backlog at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

House Foreign Affairs — 2:30 p.m. — Rayburn 2172

Chinese human rights

The subcommittee on Asia will review the annual report of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

House Armed Services — 3:30 p.m. — Rayburn 2118

National Nuclear Security Administration laboratories

National Academies of Sciences officials present findings of the Committee on Peer Review and Design Competition Related to Nuclear Weapons to the subcommittee on strategic forces.

Wednesday

House Armed Services — 9 a.m. — Rayburn 2212

Air Force infrastructure

The subcommittee on readiness will discuss the effects of reduced infrastructure on service readiness with Air Force officials.

House Foreign Affairs — 9 a.m. — Rayburn 2172

North Korea

Committee members will hear from outside experts on the long-term ramifications of the recent North Korea nuclear tests.

House Armed Services — 10:30 a.m. — Rayburn 2118

Commissary reform

Officials from outside groups offer their views to the military personnel subcommittee on commissary reform ideas and progress.

This story was updated at 1:50 p.m. Monday to reflect the cancellation of a hearing.

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

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