Secretary of Defense Panetta to testify on Syria in Senate Committee next week

Following more alarming reports emerging from the conflict in Syria, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey will offer their views of the worsening conflict to Sen. Carl Levin's (D-Mich.) Armed Services Committee on Wednesday.

Senate committee hearings for next week are as follows:

Armed Services

March 6, "Hearings to examine U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command in review of the Defense Authorization request for fiscal year 2013 and the Future Years Defense Program"

9:30 a.m., 216 Hart Senate Office Building 

March 7, "Hearings to examine the situation in Syria; with the possibility of a closed session in SVC-217 following the open session"

9 a.m., 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Key witnesses:

Leon E. Panetta, secretary of Defense

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

March 8, "Hearings to examine the Department of the Army in review of the Defense Authorization request for fiscal year 2013 and the Future Years Defense Program"

9:30 a.m., 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

March 6, "Hearings to examine spurring job growth through capital formation while protecting investors"

10 a.m., 538 Dirksen Senate Office Building        

March 8, "Hearings to examine addressing the housing crisis in Indian country, focusing on leveraging resources and coordinating efforts"

10 a.m., 538 Dirksen Senate Office Building     

Budget

March 6, "Hearings to examine perspectives on the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2013 for the Department of Defense"

10 a.m., 608 Dirksen Senate Office Building        

Commerce, Science, and Transportation

March 7, "Hearings to examine priorities, plans, and progress of the nation's space program"

10 a.m., 253 Russell Senate Office Building

Energy and Natural Resources

March 6, "Hearings to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2013 for the Forest Service"

10 a.m., 366 Dirksen Senate Office Building          

Finance

March 6, "Hearings to examine tax reform options, focusing on incentives for capital investment and manufacturing"

10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building

March 7, "Hearings to examine the President's 2012 trade agenda"

10 a.m., 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building   

Key witness:

Ronald Kirk, United States Trade Representative

Foreign Relations

March 6, "Hearings to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2013 for international development priorities"

2:30 p.m., 419 Dirksen Senate Office Building       

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions

March 8, "Hearings to examine the key to America's global competitiveness, focusing on a quality education"

10 a.m., 430 Dirksen Senate Office Building     

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

March 8, "Hearings to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2013 for the Department of Homeland Security"

2:30 p.m., 342 Dirksen Senate Office Building 

Judiciary

March 7, "Hearings to examine lending discrimination practices and foreclosure abuses"

10 a.m., 226 Dirksen Senate Office Building            

Veterans' Affairs

March 7, "Joint hearings to examine a legislative presentation from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)"

10 a.m., G50 Dirksen Senate Office Building