Budget Committee to hear from Duncan on education spending

Duncan will testify at a time when Republicans and Democrats are fighting over how to address the federal student loan rate hike. On July 1, some student loan rates will double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent unless lawmakers act.

{mosads}Republicans have introduced a bill similar to what Obama proposed in his 2014 budget. That plan would set all student loans rates based on the 10-year Treasury note. But Democrats would prefer a two-year extension on the current, low 3.4 percent rate so that lawmakers have time to work on a permanent fix in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Senators could ask Duncan to weigh in on the debate.

Another administration official will testify before the Senate next week. 

On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will conduct an oversight hearing of the FBI. FBI Director Robert Mueller is expected to testify at that hearing.

Details on these and other committee hearings follow:

Senate Appropriations

Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration

– June 18, “Markup: Appropriations for FY 2014 for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies”

10 a.m., 192 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs

– June 18, “Examine Proposed Budget Estimates for FY 2014 for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies”

10 a.m., 124 Dirksen Senate Office Building

– June 20, “Markup: Budget Estimates for FY 2014 for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Agricultural, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration”

10:30 a.m., 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development

– June 18, “Long Term Sustainability for Reverse Mortgages: HECM’s Impact on the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund”

10 a.m., 538 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Budget

– June 18, “The President’s Fiscal Year 2014 Education Budget Request”

10:30 a.m., 608 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation

– June 18, “Nomination of Thomas Wheeler to be Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission”

2:30 p.m., 253 Russell Senate Office Building

– June 19, “Staying on Track: Next Steps in Improving Passenger and Freight Rail Safety”

10 a.m., 253 Russell Senate Office Building

Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety, and Security

– June 19, “The Merger of US Airways and American Airlines”

2:30 p.m., 253 Russell Senate Office Building

Senate Energy and Natural Resources

– June 20, “Water Resource Issues in the Klamath River Basin”

9:30 a.m., 216 Hart Senate Office Building

Senate Finance

– June 18, “High Prices, Low Transparency: The Bitter Pill of Health Care Costs”

10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Foreign Relations

Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere and Global Narcotics Affairs

– June 18, “Security Cooperation in Mexico: Examining the Next Steps in the U.S.-Mexico Security Relationship”

2:30 p.m., 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Subcommittee on African Affairs

– June 18, “Examining Prospects for Democratic Reform and Economic Recovery in Zimbabwe”

10 a.m., 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

Subcommittee on Primary Health and Aging

– June 19, “Reducing Senior Poverty and Hunger: The Role of the Older Americans Act”

10 a.m., 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building

– June 20, “Developing a Skilled Workforce for a Competitive Economy: Reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act”

2:30 p.m., 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

– June 18, “Nomination of Daniel Tangherlini to be Administrator, U.S. General Services Administration”

10:30 a.m., 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Subcommittee on the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Federal Programs and the Federal Workforce and the Subcommittee on Financial and Contracting Oversight

– June 20, “Examining the Workforce of the U.S. Intelligence Community and the Role of Private Contractors”

2:30 p.m., 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Senate Judiciary

– June 19, “Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation”

10 a.m., 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building