Tuesday, July 15
New Yorker writer Jane Mayer releases her new book “The Dark Side,” an extensively reported account of the development of the administration's interrogation policies.
10 a.m. -- The House Judiciary Committee holds its fourth hearing on the Bush administration’s interrogation policies. British journalist Philippe Sands and former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith -- opponents in a high-profile dispute triggered by the author’s recent book -- are to testify.
2 p.m. -- The House Committee on Homeland Security reviews the Department of Homeland Security’s compliance with the 9/11 Act’s cargo security requirements.
TBD -- The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hears testimony on the controversial Air Force refueling tanker contract (time TBD).
Wednesday, July 16
10 a.m. -- FED Chairman Ben Bernanke provides his semiannual report to the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. The testimony couldn’t come at a more crucial time for Bernanke, who “faces a buzz-saw of criticism” in the midst of deepening financial worries.
10 a.m. -- Senator Patrick Leahy’s (D-VT) Senate Judiciary Committee holds its latest hearing on the impact of the Bush administration’s detainee policy on the broader war on terror.
10 a.m. -- A subcommittee of the House Homeland Security Committee conducts a status hearing on the Visa Waiver Program, a State Department tourism program that may be at risk.
Thursday, July 17
The Netroots Nation Conference (held in Austin, Texas) begins, running through Sunday.
9:30 a.m. -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations holds a hearing on how financial institutions located in offshore tax havens may be facilitating tax evasion by U.S. clients.
10 a.m. -- Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff testifies in front of the House Committee on Homeland Security regarding border security issues.
2:30 p.m. -- The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery holds a hearing to assess FEMA’s performance since 2007.
