Afghanistan, healthcare to be on shows

Foreign and domestic issues will share time on Sunday morning's talk show circuit.

Fallout from the Obama administration's decision to try suspected terrorists in civilian courts as well as President Barack Obama's impending decision on U.S. strategy in Afghanistan will dominate alongside discussion over the Senate's coming debate over healthcare reform.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who spent the second half of this week in southeast Asia, will appear on both NBC's "Meet the Press" and ABC's "Face the Nation" this Sunday.

Clinton, who has participated in Obama's strategy sessions over Afghanistan in this week, will face questions on the progress of those deliberations, as well as her reportedly favoring a surge in troops as requested by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan.

The secretary of State is also likely to face questions on the implications of the decision announced Friday to move terror suspects, including alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, to New York (the state Clinton had represented in the Senate) to face trial.

Lawmakers will also take up the debate over the terror trials on CBS, where two top lawmakers from the House and Senate will square off.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, will appear alongside Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, on CBS's "Face the Nation."

Hoekstra was among a broad group of Republicans to criticize the terror trials, while Leahy had defended the administration's move on Friday.

The two will also likely debate the Obama administration's response to the shootings in Fort Hood, Texas, where Hoekstra has accused the White House of hiding information about the attacks.

"Fox News Sunday" will host Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who's also likely to touch on the terror trials and Fort Hood, but will also provide a glimpse of the Senate debate expected to start this week on health reform legislation.

McConnell's Democratic counterpart, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), has laid the groundwork for the Senate to begin a debate over its health bill as early as Tuesday.

Two key senators will help preview that debate as well as their efforts to rein in federal spending during an appearance Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (N.D.) will appear alongside Ranking Member Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who has emerged as a top GOP critic of the Obama administration's health plan.

Most eyes will likely be focused on Conrad, though, who is amongst a handful of centrist Democrats whose opinions on the health bill could be critical to the legislation's final package.

The budget will also serve as a top line item, however, after Conrad and Gregg endorsed the idea of a bipartisan panel in the past week to help balance the federal budget.

Also on CNN, White House senior adviser David Axelrod will be sure to preview the administration's response to the national security and healthcare action before lawmakers return to Washington again next week.