Events of Interest: Week of March 28-April 1, 2011

The following events may be of interest in the week ahead. For more information, see our calendar on the right menu or click the links below. Times, dates and witnesses for congressional hearings are subject to change. Check the relevant committee’s website for up to date information.

During the Week

Members of the House and Senate return to Washington this week, with negotiations on the FY2011 budget still at the top of their to-do list. The current Continuing Resolution (CR) expires on April 8. Democrats and Republicans both complain about using short-term CRs to fund the government, but reports vary as to how well they are progressing in the negotiations for a “full year” CR to fund the rest of FY2011. “Full year” is a misnomer since even in the best of circumstances, it will fund only six months: April-September. Whatever cuts are made will have to be absorbed over that short time period instead of over a full year. President Obama’s decision to enforce the U.N. no-fly zone resolution will complicate the negotiations not only because it means that the Department of Defense needs more money to execute that additional mission, but members on both sides of the aisle are peeved that the President did not consult with Congress before involving the country in this military action. Meanwhile, many hearings are scheduled on the FY2012 budget request,

Tuesday, March 29

• Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on U.S. Strategic Command and U.S. European Command, 9:30 am EDT, G-50 Dirksen

Tuesday-Wednesday, March 29-30

• National Research Council Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board Committee on Review of NASA Technology Roadmaps
  • Panel on Instruments and Computing, Irvine, CA
  • Panel on Robotics, Communications and Navigation, Washington, DC

Wednesday, March 30

• House Science, Space and Technology Commiittee’s Space and Aeronautics subcommittee Hearing on NASA’s Exploration Program in Transition, 10:00 am EDT, 2318 Rayburn
• Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on the FY2012 Air Force budget request, 10:30 am EDT, 192 Dirksen

Wednesday-Thursday, March 30-31

• American Astronautical Society Goddard Memorial Symposium, Greenbelt Marriott, Greenbelt, MD

Thursday, March 31

• CSIS on Future of the Air Force, 8:00 – 9:30 am EDT, 1800 K Street, NW, Washington DC
• House Appropriations CJS Subcommittee hearing on FY2012 OSTP budget request, 10:00 am EDT, H-309 Capitol
• House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on FY2012 Air Force Budget Request, 10:00 am EDT, H-140 Capitol
• Senate Appropriations CJS Subcommittee hearing on FY2012 NASA budget request, 10:30 am EDT, 192 Dirksen
• USRA and Space Policy Institute on U.S. Export Controls and Space Science, 1:00 – 5:00 pm EDT, Grand Hyatt Conference Theater, 1000 H Street, NW, Washington DC

Friday, April 1

• House Appropriations CJS Subcommittee hearing on FY2012 NOAA budget request, 10:00 am EDT, H-309 Capitol
• National Space Club Goddard Dinner, 6:30 – 11:30 pm EDT, Hilton Washington, 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington DC