Scheduling

Fresh from their failure to reach a deal on the sequester, Congress returns to take up another big-ticket item, a spending bill for the rest of 2013.

Under the current continuing resolution, the government is funded through March 27, which means Congress has less than a month to figure out a spending plan.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will markup gun-control bills next Thursday.

One of the bills is Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-Calif.) S. 150, which would reinstate the assault weapons ban. 

The Senate will vote on two sequester alternatives at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.

Senators are aiming to alter the looming $85 billion cut from sequestration set to take place Friday. 

The Senate meets at 10 a.m., and will hold votes on Democratic and Republican proposals to replace the sequester.

The Democratic proposal would replace the $85 billion in spending cuts with a mix of cuts and tax increases. The Republican proposal is designed to give the Obama administration flexibility in how to enact the spending, which some say the administration already has.

The Senate will vote Thursday on both a Democratic and Republican plan, but neither plan is expected to pass.

The Senate Finance Committee cleared his nomination for Treasury secretary Tuesday in a 19-5 vote.

The Senate meets Wednesday to start work on the nomination of Jack Lew to be President Obama's next Treasury secretary.

The Senate Finance Committee approved Lew's nomination in a 19-5 vote on Tuesday. The Senate should begin floor work on the nomination Wednesday, and could even be in a position to vote on Lew the same day.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) introduced the Democrats’ alternative to sequestration before adjourning Tuesday evening.

Reid also filed a cloture motion on the bill, S. 388, meaning that unless Republicans agree to hold a vote earlier, the Senate will likely take up the measure Thursday. 

The Senate meets at 10 a.m., and at noon it will vote on a motion to end debate on the nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) to be the next secretary of Defense.

The Senate failed to end debate on his nomination earlier in the month, in a 58-40 vote — 60 were needed. But a few more Republicans are now prepared to support the nomination.

Congress returns with just a few days to either find an alternative to the sequester, or watch $85 billion in spend cuts take effect on March 1.

With such a short time-frame, most now assume the sequester will happen, which many on both sides say will be disastrous for the Defense Department in particular.