The Week Ahead: Obama hits the road

It’ll be a relatively quiet week on Capitol Hill with just the Senate in session.

But there will still be plenty happening both in Washington and around the country.

President Obama hits the road Monday, starting a three-day bus tour to North Carolina and Virginia to promote his jobs plan. The first lady will join him on day three.

{mosads}There’s another presidential debate on Tuesday. This one is in Las Vegas and marks the beginning of the Western Republican Leadership Conference.

And Friday marks an annual D.C. tradition for kids and parents alike — “Boo at the Zoo.”

Monday, Oct. 17

Obama begins his three-day bus trip in Asheville, N.C. and he will overnight in the Greensboro area. 

Vice President Biden travels to York, Pa., to visit Goode Elementary School as part of the administration’s promotion of the American Jobs Act.

First lady Michelle Obama and Jill Biden deliver remarks at an event for the Joint Forces initiative, which supports members of the armed services and their families. The event begins at 11:15 a.m.

Later in the afternoon the first lady will host a reception on the White House lawn for schools that met her goal to double the number of participants in the HealthierUS School Challenge in a year. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will join her at the 3:30 p.m. event.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) will hold a nation-wide tele-town hall with businessman Donald Trump at 8 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 18

The GOP presidential candidates gather in Las Vegas for a debate hosted by CNN. It begins at 8 p.m.

Obama’s bus tour takes him to Jamestown, N.C., and Emporia, Va. He will overnight in Hampton, Va.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will deliver a speech on how the financial crisis and resulting recession have changed the way central banks operate.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner testifies before the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee at 10 a.m. in 485-A Russell.

Michael Bromwich, the director of the Interior Department’s Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, testifies before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on whether the United States is capable of responding to another massive oil spill. The hearing takes place at 10 a.m. in 366 Dirksen.

Wednesday, Oct. 19

The Obamas will hold an event at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Va., as part of the president’s bus tour. The president will also visit a firehouse in North Chesterfield, Va.

Acting Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall and Lt. Gen. Brooks Bash, director of the Joint Staff’s logistics directorate, will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the final report of the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The hearing begins at 2:30 p.m. in 232-A Russell.

The Western Republican Leadership Conference begins in Las Vegas. Wednesday’s speakers include Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).

CBS’ Bob Schieffer hosts Karaoke in the Capitol, where staffers, lawmakers and members of the media come together to sing. The event begins at 7 p.m. at the Rock and Roll Hotel.

Thursday, Oct. 20

Obama will host the 13 recipients of the 2011 Presidential Citizens Medal, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor, at the White House.

The president will meet with Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of Norway later in the day.

Thursday’s speakers at the Western Republican Leadership Conference include Gov. Brian Sandoval (R-Nev.).

Friday, Oct. 21

Friday’s speakers at the Western Republican Leadership Conference include National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-Texas), Govs. Linda Lingle (R-Hawaii) and Haley Barbour (R-Miss.), and Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Dean Heller (R-Nev.).

The National Zoo hosts its annual Halloween event “Boo at the Zoo.”