Senate to hold hearings on Libya terrorist attack, meningitis outbreak

The Senate returns Tuesday to start legislative business, and the terrorist attack at the U.S. Consulate in Libya will be the subject of multiple committee hearings.

Four Americans were killed in Benghazi, Libya, including U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens, during the Sept. 11 attack. Republicans have been critical of the administration’s handling of the situation and aftermath.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday on the attacks. Last month, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said her committee would hold a hearing on the same matter on Thursday.

Also on Thursday, the Health, Education, Pensions and Labor Committee will meet to discuss implications of the meningitis outbreak, which is responsible for 31 deaths so far this year. The outbreak has been traced back to tainted steroids made at the New England Compounding Center in Massachusetts.

“This hearing is an important step to learning as much as we can about this tragic outbreak so that we can ensure that it never happens again,” committee member Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said in a statement.

More details about these and other House hearings follow:

Foreign Relations

Nov. 13, “Closed briefing on attacks in Benghazi”

3 p.m., 217, Senate Visitors Center

Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

Nov. 14, “Oversight of Basel III: Impact of Proposed Capital Rules”

2:30 p.m., 538 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Armed Services

Nov. 15, “Nominations of General Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., USMC for reappointment to the grade of general and to be Commander, International Security Assistance Force, and to be Commander, U.S. Forces, Afghanistan, and General John R. Allen, USMC for reappointment to the grade of general and to be Commander, United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, both of the Department of Defense”

9:30 a.m., G-50 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Environment and Public Works

Nov. 15, “Water Resources Development Act of 2012”

10 a.m., 406 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Health, Education, Pensions and Labor

Nov. 15, “Pharmacy Compounding: Implications of the 2012 Meningitis Outbreak”

10 a.m., 106 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Intelligence

Nov. 15, “Closed Hearing: Intelligence Matters [Benghazi attack]”

2:30 p.m., 219 Hart Senate Office Building

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