WASHINGTON — Former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday will draw most of the media focus on Capitol Hill this week, but congressional defense committees will be reviewing budget plans for all five of the military services in what may be the busiest week of work this year.
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson will testify on Tuesday. Acting Army Secretary Robert Speer is scheduled to appear on Wednesday, as are Coast Guard officials. Acting Navy Secretary Sean Stackley is set for Thursday, along with Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller.
Lawmakers are still hopeful to get most of their defense appropriations and authorization work done before the August recess, but that will mean a hectic legislative pace for the next two months if they hope to meet the deadline.
Meanwhile, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee members will try again this week to hold a hearing on the Department of Veterans Affairs proposed overhaul of the Choice program. Their attempt last month was sidetracked by partisan fighting over Comey’s firing.
Tuesday
Senate Armed Services — 9:30 a.m. — Dirksen G50
Air Force budget
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein will testify before the committee on the service’s fiscal 2018 budget request.
Senate Appropriations — 2:30 p.m. — Dirksen 124
Military housing
Service officials will testify before the committee’s military construction panel on the fiscal 2018 budget request.
Senate Armed Services — 2:30 p.m. — Russell 232A
Marine Corps budget
Brig. Gen. Joseph Shrader, head of Marine Corps Systems Command, and other service officials will testify before the committee on Corps modernization efforts and the fiscal 2018 budget request.
Wednesday
House Transportation — 10 a.m. — 2167 Rayburn
Coast Guard
Committee members will hear from Coast Guard officials on the White House’s proposed fiscal 2018 budget proposal.
House Veterans’ Affairs — 10 a.m. — Cannon 334
PTSD
VA officials will testify before the committee on current health care services for post traumatic stress disorder and possible improvements.
Senate Appropriations — 10:30 a.m. — Dirksen 192
Army budget
Acting Army Secretary Robert Speer and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley will testify before the committee on the service’s fiscal 2018 budget request.
House Armed Services — 2 p.m. — Rayburn 2212
Missile defense
Navy Vice Adm. James Syring, director of the Missile Defense Agency, and other defense officials will testify before the committee on missile defense strategy and the fiscal 2018 budget.
Senate Veterans’ Affairs — 2:30 p.m. — Russell 418
VA Choice program
VA officials will testify before the committee on planned changes to the VA Choice program.
Senate Armed Services — 2:30 p.m. — Russell 222
Nuclear acquisition
Nuclear security officials will testify before the committee on Defense Department acquisition programs and nuclear strategy.
House Armed Services — 3:30 p.m. — Rayburn 2118
Combat aviation
Service acquisition officials will testify before the committee on combat aviation modernization programs and the fiscal 2018 budget request.
Thursday
Senate Armed Services — 9:30 a.m. — Dirksen G50
Navy and Marine Corps budget
Acting Navy Secretary Sean Stackley, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller will testify before the committee on the services’ fiscal 2018 budget requests.
House Veterans’ Affairs — 10 a.m. — Cannon 334
VA medical partnerships
Committee members will hear from VA officials on current department relationships with academic affiliates and local nonprofits.
House Foreign Affairs — 10 a.m. — Rayburn 2172
Hezbollah
The committee will hear from outside experts on Hezbollah’s financial network and national security implications for the U.S.
House Appropriations — 2 p.m. — Rayburn 2359
NASA budget
Officials from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will testify before the committee on the fiscal 2018 budget request.
House Veterans’ Affairs — 2 p.m. — Cannon 334
Education benefits processing
VA officials will testify before the committee on issues with processing and development of Post 9/11 GI Bill claims.
Leo Shane III covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He can be reached at lshane@militarytimes.com.
This week in Congress: It’s Comey vs. the defense budget
