This Week in Washington: June 1, 2009

The White House: The President used his weekly address to tout Judge Sonia Sotomayor as his nominee for the Supreme Court. In discussing her merits, President Obama notes that, “Judge Sonia Sotomayor accumulated more experience on the federal bench than any incoming Supreme Court Justice in the past 100 years, touching nearly every aspect of our legal system.”  The President is headed for a whirlwind world tour this week with stops in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Germany, and France.

U.S. Senate: There is nothing terribly exciting this week on the Senate Floor after a week away for the Memorial Day Work Recess. And while everyone is itching to get to Sotomayor’s confirmation hearing, it won’t likely happen until a couple of weeks from now. She’s got lots of paperwork to fill out. But Senate committees will hold hearings on the plight of auto dealerships given the implosion of the domestic auto industry and consider legislation to encourage early detection of cancers. Most other hearings will focus on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 budget and subcabinet nominations.

U.S. House of Representatives: The House returns on Tuesday to consider numerous bills under the suspension calendar along with legislation to give federal employees paid parental leave. In addition to budget hearings, House Committees will also hold hearings on Agent Orange, food safety, Section 8 housing, and bat deaths in the Northeast.

More Services