The Week Ahead: Senate repeal push
President Obama delivers his State of the Union address to a joint
session of Congress on Tuesday evening.
His speech comes the week after the House voted to repeal his
signature healthcare reform legislation. The effects of that vote will
be felt this week: The Senate returns to Washington, and House
Republicans will continue to pressure Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid (D-Nev.) to allow a vote on the repeal bill. Reid has promised to
block the legislation, but Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has
assured supporters he will find a way to force a vote.
{mosads}During Obama’s address, there will be more focus than usual on the audience, as several lawmakers have pledged to buck tradition and sit
together, rather than having all the Republicans on one side of the
chamber and all the Democrats on the other.
There will be a few celebrity sightings in town this week. Actor
Richard Dreyfuss will give a speech at the National Press Club on Tuesday
morning and musician Wyclef Jean will perform there Wednesday evening
to raise funds for journalists in Haiti.
Monday, Jan. 24
Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden will deliver
remarks at a White House event unveiling efforts to better coordinate
and strengthen the government’s support for military families.
On Monday evening, the Obamas will host new members of Congress for a
reception at the White House.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton travels to Mexico to meet with
Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa in Guanajuato.
The Woodrow Wilson Center and the Congressional Black Caucus
Foundation hold a discussion on “Congress and the Education Deficit.”
Participants include Reps. Donald Payne (D-N.J.) and Tom Petri
(R-Wis.). The event takes place at the Ronald Reagan Building, 1300
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, at 4:30 p.m.
The Clean Economy Network holds a “Clean Economy” summit. Sen. Dick
Lugar (R-Ind.) delivers the keynote address at 11 a.m. A gala dinner
at 6:30 p.m. features former Gov. Ed Rendell (D-Pa.). The Mayflower
Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Ave. NW.
Tuesday, Jan. 25
Obama delivers his State of the Union address at 9 p.m. House Budget
Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) delivers the GOP response right
after.
Michelle Obama gives the keynote address at the National Mentoring
Summit at 1:45 p.m.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee holds its first
organizational meeting of the 112th Congress at 9:30 a.m. HVC-210,
U.S. Capitol Building.
Author Ron Reagan holds a discussion on his book, My Father at 100: A
Memoir, at 12:30 p.m. at the Borders at 18th and L streets NW. Reagan
will be at Politics and Prose Bookstore — 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW —
at 7 p.m.
Dreyfuss discusses civility and how an informed electorate can better
engage in political dialogue in a 10 a.m. speech at the National Press
Club.
Wednesday, Jan. 26
Obama travels to Manitowoc, Wis. He will visit employees at Orion
Energy Systems as part of his Main Street Tour, according to the
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) will participate in a
Heritage Foundation discussion on “How Federal Spending Undercuts
Economic Freedom.” The panel takes place at 11:30 a.m. at 214
Massachusetts Ave. NE, in the Allison Auditorium.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee holds a hearing on
the report and recommendations issued by the National Commission on
the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling. It starts at
9:30 a.m. in 325 Russell.
The House Natural Resources Committee holds its hearing on the
commission report at 2 p.m. 1324 Longworth.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee holds a hearing on
“Bailouts and the Foreclosure Crisis: Report of the Special Inspector
General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).” TARP Special
Inspector General Neil Barofsky is scheduled to testify. The hearing
begins at 9:30 a.m. in HVC-210, U.S. Capitol Building.
The Defense Department holds a “Language and Culture” summit. Sens.
Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.), along with Reps. Joe
Wilson (R-S.C.) and Susan Davis (D-Calif.), participate in an 8 a.m.
breakfast meeting. Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) delivers remarks at 10
a.m. The invitation-only event takes place at the Hilton Alexandria
Mark Center, 5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria, Va.
Wyclef Jean will be among several Haitian musicians performing at the
National Press Club at 7 p.m. to raise funds for journalists in Haiti.
Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive is among the speakers.
Tickets are available at www.press.org
Thursday, Jan. 27
Families USA begins a three-day conference in Washington. Democratic speakers include House Minority
Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.); Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max
Baucus (Mont.); Senate HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa);
and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Donald
Berwick. The event begins at 9 a.m. and takes place at the
Hyatt Regency Hotel, 400 New Jersey Ave. NW.
The president fields questions from the public via social media during
a press conference streamed live at 2:30 p.m. on YouTube. Questions
can be submitted at YouTube.com/askobama or by using the hashtag
#askobama on Twitter. The deadline to submit questions is midnight
Tuesday.
Michelle Obama appears on Oprah Winfrey’s show. The interview was pre-taped.
The first lady is in Columbia, S.C., for a series of events
highlighting the intersection of her “Let’s Move!” initiative and
military readiness. She will spend the day at Fort Jackson.
Friday, Jan. 28
Obama addresses Families USA conference in the morning.
The Brookings Institution holds a discussion on the challenges of
enabling personalized medicine and what policy changes are needed to
leverage health information technology. The nation’s first health IT
czar, David Brailer, is the keynote speaker. The event begins at 9
a.m. in the Falk Auditorium at Brookings, 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW.
Jason Millman and Gautham Nagesh contributed to this article.
This article was updated at 10:23 a.m.
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