The Week Ahead: Pre-campaign crunch

The Senate returns Monday afternoon for what is likely to be the
chamber’s last week in session before the November election.

It’ll be a short week for the House. Lawmakers come back into town on
Wednesday and have their last votes tentatively scheduled for
Thursday. The chamber is then scheduled to adjourn until after Nov. 2.

{mosads}The most pressing issue: passing a continuing resolution to keep the
government funded past Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. With the
decision to delay a vote on extending tax cuts until after the
election, passing the CR is the only “must” on Congress’s to-do
list before leaving.

Thursday marks the final day for candidates to fundraise for their
third-quarter Federal Election Commission reports.

And with that in mind, President Obama, Vice President Biden and
former Vice President Gore will hit the campaign trail for various
candidates.

Obama and Biden will also be traveling to several states to meet with
local families about the economy.

Monday, Sept. 27

Obama will be interviewed live from the White House on NBC’s “Today
Show.” He’ll also sign the small-business bill. Later in the day he
heads to Albuquerque, N.M.

Biden will be in Manchester, N.H., to host a backyard discussion on
the economy at a private residence. He will be joined by Sen. Jeanne
Shaheen (D-N.H.), Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Paul Hodes (N.H.) and Rep.
Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.).

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) heads to Ohio to fundraise for
gubernatorial candidate John Kasich.

The White House-created commission probing the BP oil spill begins a
two-day hearing. Among those scheduled to testify: Interior Secretary
Ken Salazar, National Incident Commander Thad Allen, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator
Lisa Jackson and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.). It will be webcast at
oilspillcommission.gov.

Tuesday, Sept. 28

Obama meets with an Albuquerque family at their home and then hosts a
discussion on the economy with families from the area. He then heads
to Madison, Wis., to headline a campaign rally at the University of
Wisconsin. The 5:45 p.m. (EST) event will feature musician Ben Harper.
The president then heads to Des Moines, Iowa.

Biden will deliver remarks at a rally at Pennsylvania State
University. Then he heads to New York City for an event for Illinois
Democratic Senate candidate Alexi Giannoulias.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine will be at a rally at
the University of Delaware in Newark, Del., with Democratic Senate
candidate Chris Coons. It begins at 6 p.m.

The late Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) will be buried at Arlington
National Cemetery at 1 p.m.

The Brookings Institution sponsors a forum on the economics of
immigration, featuring New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) and former
Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 12:30
p.m. Grand Ballroom, Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Ave. NW.

Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf testifies at 10
a.m. before the Senate Budget Committee on the outlook for the
economy. 608 Dirksen.

The Senate Armed Services Committee meets at 10 a.m. for a hearing on
the Pentagon’s cost-cutting efforts, with testimony by William J. Lynn
III, deputy Defense secretary. G-50 Dirksen.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute holds a 1 p.m. briefing
on “FEMA’s Role in Advancing Sustainable, Affordable Housing Options.”
428A Russell.

A Senate Commerce oversight subcommittee hears testimony at 3 p.m. on
pipeline safety in the wake of the fatal natural-gas pipeline
explosion in San Bruno, Calif. 253 Russell.

Wednesday, Sept. 29

Obama meets with a Des Moines family at their home and then hosts a
discussion on the economy with families from the area. He then heads
to Richmond, Va., for another meeting with a local family before
hosting a discussion on the economy with residents.

Alaska Senate nominee Joe Miller will be in Washington through Friday
for fundraisers and meetings.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) holds a 10 a.m.
hearing on “The al-Megrahi Release: One Year Later.” 419 Dirksen.

The Senate Rules Committee meets at 10 a.m. on filibuster reform. 301 Russell.

The House Armed Services Committee holds a 10 a.m. hearing on the
Pentagon’s cost-cutting efforts. 2118 Rayburn.

The Center for American Progress holds a discussion on “American Power
After 9/11: Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations.” The event runs
from noon to 1:30 p.m. 1333 H St. NW, 10th floor.

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Banking
Committee, discusses Wall Street reform at an event sponsored by the
Economic Club of Washington. Reception begins at 6 p.m.; dinner is at
7 p.m. Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 1150 22nd St. NW.

Thursday, Sept. 30

Obama attends a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Washington
on Thursday evening.

Biden will be in Omaha to campaign for congressional candidate Tom
White. Afterward, he will head to Albuquerque to campaign for
gubernatorial candidate Diane Denish.

Gore will be in Tampa to campaign for Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Kendrick Meek (Fla.).

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee holds at 10
a.m. hearing on “Federal Loans to Students at For-Profit Schools.” 216
Hart.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee convenes at 10
a.m. for a hearing on the “phantom recall” of the drug Motrin. Food
and Drug Administration Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein and Johnson &
Johnson CEO William Weldon are expected to testify. HVC-210 Capitol
Building.

The Senate Banking Committee meets at 10 a.m. for a hearing on “Implementing the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act,” with testimony from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and the heads of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and others. 538 Dirksen.

Salazar gives a speech on energy policy at 10:30 a.m. at the Woodrow
Wilson International Center for Scholars. 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW.

The Cato Institute holds a noon briefing on “Rethinking Biofuels
Policy.” B-338 Rayburn.

Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), chairmen of
the National Republican Senatorial Committee and Democratic Senatorial
Campaign Committee, respectively, address a National Press Club
lunch. The lunch begins at 12:30 p.m.; remarks begin at 1 p.m.
National Press Building, 529 14th St. NW.

It’s the final day for candidates to raise money for third-quarter
Federal Election Commission reports, which are due Oct. 15.

Friday, Oct. 1

The new fiscal year begins.

Obama attends the Investiture Ceremony for Justice Elena Kagan at the
Supreme Court.

Biden will be in California, where he’ll campaign for Rep. Jerry
McNerney in Oakland and then for Sen. Barbara Boxer in
Orange County.

The Alliance for Health Reform holds a discussion on “More Than Meets
the Eye: Long-Term Care Provisions in the New Reform Law.” It takes
place at 12:15 p.m. Columbus Club, Union Station.

This post was updated at 10 a.m.