By the second week in February lawmakers are supposed to be busy picking apart the White House’ budget request with an eye towards policy debates in coming months. But the process hasn’t worked that way in recent years.
Administration officials earlier this month announced their fiscal 2025 budget proposal would arrive more than a month late — on March 11 — marking the fourth consecutive year that Biden has missed the statutory deadline for a spending plan in early February.
Republican House Budget Committee members last week blasted the delay as another financial misstep by the administration. But each of the last four presidents missed that filing deadline at least once during their time in the White House, slowly making the February target date more of a guidepost than a mandate.
And the upcoming budget proposal is complicated by the fact that lawmakers still have not finalized their work on the fiscal 2024 budget, even though the new fiscal year began on Oct. 1. Biden’s fiscal 2025 budget plan is scheduled to be released three days after the next deadline for Congress to pass a funding extension or trigger a partial government shutdown.
Wednesday, Feb. 14
House Foreign Affairs — 10 a.m. — 2172 RayburnAustralia-UK-US Partnership
Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins will testify on AUKUS Implementation.
House Judiciary — 10 a.m. — 2141 Rayburn
Crime Surveillance
Officials from the U.S. Marshals Service will testify on current operations.
House Agriculture — 10 a.m. — Feb. 14 — 1300 Longworth
USDA
Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack will testify on department needs.
House Veterans' Affairs — 10:15 a.m. — 360 Cannon
Sexual Harassment
Committee members will review ongoing concerns with department leaders’ handling of sexual harassment claims.
House Veterans' Affairs — 12:05 p.m. — 360 Cannon
Pending Business
The committee will meet to debate pending business issues.
House Veterans' Affairs — 1 p.m. — 360 Cannon
VA Compensation/Pension
Department officials will testify on challenges with VA compensation and pension programs.
House Foreign Affairs — 2 p.m. — 2200 Rayburn
Nigeria
Outside experts will testify on threats to democratic rights in Nigeria.
House Foreign Affairs — 2 p.m. — Visitors Center H-210
Houthi Threat
Outside experts will testify on threats posed by Houthi fighters to the Middle East and U.S. personnel deployed there.
Thursday, Feb. 15
House Veterans' Affairs — 8 a.m. — 360 CannonHealth Record Modernization
Department officials will provide an update on health records modernization efforts.
House Veterans' Affairs — 10 a.m. — 360 Cannon
Artificial Intelligence
Department officials will testify on the use of artificial intelligence in veterans services.
House Foreign Affairs — 10 a.m. — 2172 Rayburn
Doha Agreement
Outside experts will testify on ongoing problems in Afghanistan.
House Science — 10 a.m. — 2318 Rayburn
Technology Enterprise
Officials from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and National Science Foundation will testify on securing American technology enterprise efforts.
House Ways & Means — 10 a.m. — 1100 Longworth
IRS
IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel will testify on current operations and challenges.
House Armed Services — 10 a.m. — Rayburn 2118
China
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante will testify on current challenges posed by China.
House Foreign Affairs — 2 p.m. — 2172 Rayburn
Russia Nuclear Energy
Outside experts will testify on ending global dependence on Russian nuclear energy.
House Foreign Affairs — 2 p.m. — 2200 Rayburn
Antisemitism in Latin America
Outside experts will testify on problems with antisemitism and discrimination in Latin America.
House Veterans' Affairs — 2:30 p.m. — 360 Cannon
VA Home Loans
Department officials will testify on current use and access challenges with the VA home loan program.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
