The Week Ahead: Obama releases budget

President Obama will release his 2013 budget proposal on Monday, setting the stage for the next round of spending battles.

Several members of the administration will travel to Capitol Hill to testify about the proposal — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geither alone is testifying before four different committees this week. 

{mosads}Meanwhile, Obama will visit Northern Virginia on Monday to make his pitch about his plan and he hits the road on Wednesday, traveling to the Midwest and West Coast.

Expect election year politics to come into play with Republicans heavily criticizing the White House proposal. The GOP will release their own spending plan through Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in March.

There are no Republican presidential primaries or debates next week — a rare moment of quiet in that race. Expect the candidates to be campaigning in Arizona or Michigan, which are the next contests, or in the states that vote on Super Tuesday, which is March 6.

Both chambers of Congress are in session and will be debating the $260 billion transportation bill, which is the brainchild of Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). 

Also, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has said the joint committee working on the payroll tax cut extension needs to reveal its measure early this week. With Congress on recess the week of February 20th, time is running out before the tax cut expires at the end of the month.

Monday, February 13

President Obama will visit Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Va., to discuss his 2013 budget proposal.

The U.S. Government Printing Office and the Office of Management and Budget formally release the president’s proposal at 11:15 a.m. at the GPO.

Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Jeffrey Zients, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Alan Krueger, National Economic Council’s Gene Sperling, and Domestic Policy Council director Cecilia Munoz hold a press conference at 12:30 to discuss the president’s budget proposal.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu briefs reporters on his department’s 2013 budget request at 1:30 p.m. at the Energy Department.

Obama and first lady Michelle Obama honor 2011 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal recipients at the White House at 1:45 p.m.

Tuesday, February 14

Obama and Vice President Biden meet with Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping at the White House.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Obama’s 2013 budget proposal. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 215 Dirksen.

Zients testifies before the Senate Budget Committee on the administration’s proposal. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 608 Dirksen.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the 2013 budget request for the Pentagon. The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. in G-50 Dirksen.

Wednesday, February 15

Obama begins a three-day trip to the Midwest and West Coast, heading to Milwaukee, Wis., to talk about his economy plans and then moves on to Los Angeles for campaign fundraisers. 

Geithner testifies before the House Ways and Means Committee on the 2013 budget request. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 1100 Longworth.

Zients testifies before the House Budget Committee on the issue. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 210 Cannon.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano testifies before the House Homeland Security Committee on the budget proposal for her department. The hearing starts at 2:30 p.m. in 311 Cannon.

Panetta and Dempsey testify before the House Armed Services Committee on the Pentagon’s budget. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 2118 Rayburn.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood testifies before the Senate Budget Committee on the budget request for his department. The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. in 608 Dirksen.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on the budget request for her department. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 215 Dirksen.

Napolitano testifies before the House Appropriations Committee on the budget proposal for her department. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 2359 Rayburn.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar testifies before the House Natural Resources Committee on the budget request for his department. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 1324 Longworth.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack testifies before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee on the 2012 farm bill. The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. in G-50 Dirksen.

Thursday, February 16

Obama heads to Corona del Mar, Calif., and then on to San Francisco for campaign fundraisers.

Biden heads to Albuquerque, N.M., for a campaign fundraiser and then heads to Los Angeles. 

Geithner testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on the 2013 budget proposal. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 608 Dirksen.

Geithner testifies before the House Budget Committee on the issue at 2:00 p.m. in 210 Cannon.

Panetta and Dempsey testify before the House Appropriations Committee on the Pentagon’s budget. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 2359 Rayburn.

Salazar testifies before the House Appropriations Committee on the budget request for his department. The hearing begins at 1:30 p.m. in 2359 Rayburn.

Director of National Intelligence James Clapper testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on national security issues. The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. in G-50 Dirksen.

Friday, February 17

Obama’s final stop is Seattle for a speech on the economy and a campaign fundraiser. Then he’ll return to Washington.

Biden and Vice President Xi will attend various events in the Los Angeles area.

Vilsack testifies before the House Appropriations Committee on the budget request for his department. The hearing begins at 10 a.m. in 2362-A Rayburn.