Lawmakers were hoping not to be in town this week, so the pre-holiday work schedule on Capitol Hill is even lighter than usual.
House and Senate leaders are still negotiating an omnibus budget measure that would fund government operations through next fall. They have until Wednesday night to do that, thanks to a short-term budget extension finalized late last week.
While work on that issue progresses, the Senate Armed Services Committee will take up several overdue nominations and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will take up ongoing operations in Afghanistan.
But schedules could change if a budget deal is reached earlier than Wednesday, or if continued gridlock pushes a compromise back a few more days.
Senate Veterans’ Affairs — 11 a.m. — Gilbert, Arizona
Field hearing
The committee will hold an off-site hearing on use of the VA Choice Card and management accountability at the Phoenix VA Medical Center. Hearing will begin at 9 a.m. local time.
Senate Armed Services — 9:30 a.m. — Dirksen G50
Nominations
The committee will consider a series of nominations pending before the Senate, including Pat Murphy to be Army undersecretary, Janine Davidson to be Navy undersecretary, and Lisa Disbrow to be Air Force undersecretary.
Senate Veterans’ Affairs — 2:30 p.m. — Russell 418
Transition assistance
Committee members will hear about VA employment and training programs for troops leaving the military.
House Foreign Affairs — 10 a.m. — Rayburn 2172
Pakistan
Committee members will hear from State Department officials on security concerns and partnership challenges in Pakistan.
House Foreign Affairs — 1 p.m. — Rayburn 2172
Egypt
Members of the subcommittee on the Middle East will discuss the security situation in Egypt and long-term issues of stability in the region.
Senate Foreign Relations — 2:30 p.m. — Dirksen 419
Afghanistan
Committee members will hear from State Department officials on the White House approach to Afghanistan and long-term security in the region.
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.
