The Week Ahead: Lawmakers turn attention to jobs

The focus on Capitol Hill this week will be on jobs, as President Obama plans to send his American Jobs Act to Congress, members of the ‘supercommittee’ will hold their second meeting and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) will give an economic address.

Obama touted his $447 billion jobs proposal in a speech to a joint session of Congress Thursday night and a follow-up event in Richmond on Friday. He heads to Boehner’s home state of Ohio on Tuesday to discuss his plan.

{mosads}Democrats are pushing for Congress to pass the full, comprehensive package, but Republicans have shown some reservations and are insisting any spending be offset with cuts. Obama has called on the supercommittee to find ways to pay for his plan.

Boehner will get his chance at a rebuttal on Thursday, when he addresses the Economic Club of Washington D.C.

On the political side, Republican presidential contenders will gather for their second debate of the month and the GOP will try to win a House seat in New York’s special election.

The GOP White House candidates will be in Tampa, Fla., on Monday night for a debate sponsored by the Tea Party Express and CNN. Observers will be watching for more fighting between front-runners Mitt Romney and Gov. Rick Perry (R-Texas). It’s also the first debate the Tea Party has sponsored and it will be interesting to see if Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) – a favorite of that movement — stands out more at this one than she did at last week’s.

And if it’s Tuesday, there must be voting. New York and Nevada hold special elections for House seats that evening.

The race to watch is for former Rep. Anthony Weiner’s (D-N.Y.) seat as Republicans have a decent chance of picking it up. A poll out last week showed Republican candidate Bob Turner up by six points over Democrat David Weprin.

Meanwhile, Republicans are favored to hold former Rep.-turned-Sen. Dean Heller’s (R) seat in Nevada.

Monday, Sept. 12

Congressional leaders and other lawmakers will attend a Congressional Remembrance Ceremony for the Sept. 11th attacks at 6 p.m. on the East Front Steps of the Capitol.

Obama will hold a Rose Garden event to discuss his American Jobs Act and will send it to Congress that evening.

The Republican presidential debate, sponsored by CNN and the Tea Party Express, begins at 8 p.m. Participating candidates include: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), businessman Herman Cain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

Before the debate, Romney will visit Boeing’s South Carolina plant and deliver a policy speech on labor relations.

Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, will speak to the American Enterprise Institute on the experience of America’s armed forces since the Sept. 11th attacks. The event begins at 10:30 a.m.

Members of Congress and their staff play in the 13th Annual Hoops for Hope Congressional Charity All-Star Classic at George Washington University at 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 13

The supercommittee will hear testimony from Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Elmendorf on the history and drivers of the nation’s debt at 10:30 a.m. in 216 Hart.

Obama travels to Columbus, Ohio, to tout his American Jobs Act.

Polls in New York close at 9 p.m. and close in Nevada at 10 p.m. ET.

Vice President Biden meets with Romanian President Traian Basescu. In the evening, he and Jill Biden will host a reception at the Naval Observatory in honor of the 17th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano; FBI director Robert Mueller; and Director of National Intelligence Matthew Olsen testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on “Ten Years After 9/11: Are We Safer?” The hearing starts at 10 a.m. in 342 Dirksen.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Central Intelligence Agency Director David Petraeus testify before a joint hearing of the House (Select) Intelligence Committee and Senate (Select) Intelligence Committee on “The State of Intelligence Reform 10 Years After 9/11.” The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. in HVC-210.

The Senate Armed Services Committee meets at 9:30 a.m. on the nomination of Ashton Carter to be deputy secretary of the Defense Department. The hearing takes place in 106 Dirksen.

Several senators – including Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), Environment and Public Works Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), EPW ranking Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) – will hold a press conference at noon to announce the formation of the Senate Oceans Caucus.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President George W. Bush are among the participants at the announcement of a new initiative to expand cancer screenings for women in developing nations in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. The event takes place at 4 p.m. at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

First lady Michelle Obama hosts the annual luncheon honoring the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award winners and finalists at 12:45 p.m. in the East Room of the White House.

The Bipartisan Congressional Awards Gala honors Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) at the Willard Intercontinental at 5:30 p.m.

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rep. Shelley Berkley (R-Nev.) receive the USPRA Congressional Award from the U.S. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association at 5 p.m. at the Florida House.

Wednesday, Sept. 14

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) holds a Twitter town hall at 4 p.m.

Obama will travel to the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina to discuss his jobs plan.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks at the Rev. Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., at noon and attends a Republican Governor’s Association fundraiser in Richmond later in the day.

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will attend the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 34th Annual Awards Gala at the Washington Convention Center.

Biden will host a Cabinet meeting as part of the Administration’s Campaign to Cut Waste.

Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan testifies before the House Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee at 2 p.m. in 311 Cannon.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick speaks about the changing world economy at George Washington University’s Jack Morton Auditorium at 11:30 a.m.

The 33rd Annual Ambassador’s Ball, given by the National MS Society, honors Sens. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) and Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) at 6:30 p.m. at the Ritz Carlton.

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park holds a Lion Cub Birthday Celebration at the National Zoo at 11 a.m.

Thursday, Sept. 15

Boehner speaks to the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. at the Ronald Reagan Building at 12:30 p.m.

Obama will award the Medal of Honor to former active-duty Marine Corps corporal Dakota Meyer at 2:30 p.m. at the White House.

Biden will attend fundraisers for the Democratic National Committee in Raleigh, N.C., and Dallas, Texas.

The Senate Budget Committee hosts a hearing on “Policy Prescriptions for the Economy” with testimony from Chand Stone, chief economist at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics; and Kevin Hassett, senior fellow and director of the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. in 608 Dirksen.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hears nominations on Gregory Woods to be general counsel for the Energy Department; David Danielson to be an assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy; and LaDoris Harris to be director of the Energy Department’s Office of Minority Economic Impact. The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. in 366 Dirksen.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) speaks at the Council on Foreign Relations about his recent trip to Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, as well as other foreign policy issues, at 12:30 p.m.

Reps. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), and Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) join other officials in announcing the launch of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus. The event takes place at the House Triangle at 10:30 a.m.

Friday, Sept. 16

Michele Bachmann speaks to the California state Republican Convention in Los Angeles.

Ron Paul addresses the Liberty Political Action Conference in Reno, Nev.

Biden will visit the University of Delaware to donate his senatorial papers and deliver the James R. Soles Lecture on the Constitution and Citizenship.