Leaders in the House and Senate have already conceded that the do-or-die week on completing this year’s legislative needs isn’t going to be this week as once had been thought. Instead, the big hurdles will be next week, when lawmakers will face a hard deadline for passing a raft of spending bills before the current funding expires. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) says he cannot rule out the possibility of another stopgap spending bill to go beyond Dec. 17 to give lawmakers extra time to finalize the last spending deal of the year.
But this week, the Senate expects to take up the balanced budget amendment, a Republican priority that has already been considered, and shot down, in the House.
MONDAY
Financial Field Hearing The House Financial Services Committee will be in Chicago, asking local leaders how “new regulations are impacting financial institutions, small businesses and consumers in Illinois.”
TUESDAY
Cause Celebre The House Financial Services panel holds a hearing on the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act. The long-languishing bill to prevent lawmakers from using information they gather at work to trade stock has rocketed to the top of the agenda since “60 Minutes” did a report on insider trading and Congress.
WEDNESDAY
The Gingrich Bandwagon The once-dead-now-leading GOP presidential hopeful and former Speaker will hold a fundraiser at the Occidental Grill & Seafood.
Skip to the General Although both candidates face primary opponents, former Virginia Govs. George Allen (R) and Tim Kaine (D) face off in the first debate of their race for an open Senate seat. No other candidates had sufficient fundraising or poll numbers to qualify for the Associated Press debate.
The GOP on Israel The Republican Jewish Coalition hosts a candidate forum for the GOP presidential candidates. The list of confirmed attendees and speech-givers is, essentially, everybody except Rep. Ron Paul.
THURSDAY
Nothing to See Here Today is, officially, the House’s target adjournment date. Of course, the House will not adjourn today because lawmakers still have not finished their work on appropriations.
Lois Lerner, director of exempt organizations for the IRS, arrives for a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the investigation of the IRS' targeting of political groups. Lerner invoked her Fifth Amendment right to not testify and caused a protest from some committee members when she offered an opening statement and engaged in dialogue with members before invoking the right.
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