WASHINGTON \u2014 Congress returns from its Thanksgiving holiday break with just a few weeks of work left in 2017 and a long to-do list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It includes finding a fiscal 2018 budget deal to avoid a Christmastime partial government shutdown, one that defense hawks hope will include a substantial boost in military funding above what mandatory budget caps call for this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before the break, lawmakers finalized their annual defense authorization bill with a spending target of $700 billion for defense programs. But negotiations on appropriations bills haven\u2019t produced the same level of funding, which will be a major sticking point over the next few weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That work is expected to begin with a short-term spending deal to keep the government open past Dec. 8, when the current continuing resolution expires. Details of that plan should emerge in the next few days.<\/p>\n\n\n\nTuesday, Nov. 28<\/strong> Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of Nov. 27.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":84630,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[160,36,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3424],"class_list":["post-44927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-pentagon"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"3KPQRYHWVBCZXJQ3TFSVGCMXRU","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2017\/11\/27\/this-week-in-congress-lawmakers-looming-deadlines\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n
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\nSenate Foreign Relations \u2014 10 a.m. \u2014 Dirksen 419
\nNominations<\/i>
\nThe subcommittee on human rights will consider the nominations of Christopher Ford to be assistant secretary of state for international security and Yleem Poblete to be assistant secretary of state for compliance.
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\nWednesday, Nov. 29<\/strong>
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\nHouse Veterans\u2019 Affairs \u2014 10 a.m. \u2014 Cannon 334
\nProvider quality<\/i>
\nThe subcommittee on oversight will hear from VA officials on problems with provider quality and safety concerns.
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\nHouse Transportation \u2014 10 a.m. \u2014 Rayburn 2167
\nUnmanned aircraft systems<\/i>
\nThe subcommittee on aviation will hear from outside experts on challenges with unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace.
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\nHouse Foreign Affairs \u2014 10 a.m. \u2014 Rayburn 2172
\nLebanon<\/i>
\nOutside experts will testify before the committee on instability in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia\u2019s actions in the region.
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\nSenate Veterans\u2019 Affairs \u2014 2:30 p.m. \u2014 Russell 418
\nLegislation mark-up<\/i>
\nLawmakers will consider the Senate\u2019s draft of legislation to overhaul community care programs in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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\nThursday, Nov. 30<\/strong>
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\nSenate Armed Services \u2014 10 a.m. \u2014 Dirksen G50
\nNational Defense Strategy<\/i>
\nOutside experts will testify before the committee on their recommendations for the future National Defense Strategy.
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\nHouse Homeland Security \u2014 10 a.m. \u2014 Visitors Center H210
\nWorldwide threats<\/i>
\nOutside experts will testify before the committee on current threats to America.
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\nSenate Foreign Relations \u2014 10 a.m. \u2014 Dirksen 419
\nNominations<\/i>
\nThe subcommittee on human rights will consider the nominations of four individuals, including Brock Bierman to be assistant administrator of USAID.
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"