Scheduling

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) set up a vote on a judicial nominee for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

At 2 p.m. the Senate will begin to consider the nomination of William Kayatta, Jr., of Maine, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the First Circuit.

The Senate meets at 10 a.m., and at some point is expected to take up the nomination of former Sen. Chuck Hagel to be the next secretary of Defense.

On Tuesday, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 14-11 in favor of Hagel's nomination. The party line vote suggests that most GOP senators will oppose Hagel, a Republican, while most Democratic senators will support him. There are also signs Republicans may have enough support to delay Hagel's nomination until he provides more information about various meetings he's held over the last few years.

Today is Mardi Gras, tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the day after is Valentine's Day. But none of these culturally significant days seem to be having any impact on the congressional calendar, which is filled today with a bill on violence against women and hydropower legislation. Although, maybe we'll hear some Valentine's Day-related puns on Thursday.

The Senate meets at 10 a.m., and by 11 a.m. it will resume work on the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, S. 47.

On Monday, senators rejected another Republican amendment, this one from Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). That leaves five more amendments before the Senate holds a vote on final passage, which is expected today.

The Senate meets at 2 p.m. and will resume work on the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, S. 47.

Senators reached an agreement last week to consider up to seven amendments to this bill. They have already rejected one amendment from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), which would have rewritten language giving Indian tribes jurisdiction over non-Indians in certain domestic abuse cases.

The Senate meets at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, and after morning remarks, will continue work on S. 47, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.

Senators voted Monday to proceed to the bill, and Democrats are hoping to pass the bill by the end of the day.

The House meets at 9 a.m. Wednesday and will immediately start work on legislation that would require President Obama to estimate when the federal budget will balance again.

Members approved the rule for this bill Tuesday, and then debated the bill for 30 minutes before adjourning for the day. The bill was hotly opposed by Democrats and led two Democrats to call the legislation "stupid."

The House meets at 10 a.m. for speeches, then at noon to start work on the Require a PLAN Act, H.R. 444.

The bill calls on President Obama to submit a 2014 budget that balances in some future year. If Obama fails to do this, he would be required to submit a supplemental budget estimating when the budget will balance, and outlining the steps needed to get to that point.

The Senate meets at 2 p.m., and will start work on the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, S. 47.

The bill is a second attempt at passing a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) after the bill stalled in the last Congress. Both the House and Senate passed their own versions, but neither chamber took up the other's version.

The House and Senate both return next week, but with dueling agendas. The House will pass a bill pressuring President Obama to produce a balanced budget, while the Senate starts work on a bill reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

House Republicans will pass the Require Presidential Leadership and No Deficit, or Require a PLAN, Act by Wednesday. That bill would essentially require Obama to estimate when the federal budget will come into balance again, and to describe what it will take to get there.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said he was "pleased" that the Senate would begin work next week on his bill, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA).

“I am pleased the Senate will next week turn its focus to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act,” Leahy said Friday. “The Leahy-Crapo VAWA bill seeks to protect all victims of domestic and sexual violence, including tribal women, immigrants, college students, and members of the LGBT community.”