Defense hearings: Combatant commanders and budget talk in the Senate

House members are home on recess this week, but senators remained in Washington, D.C. to continue work on the Defense Department and Veterans Affairs fiscal 2017 budget requests and related issues.

Special Operations Command head Gen. Joseph Votel, who appeared before a House panel last week, will visit the Senate Armed Services Committee twice this week. The first is to talk about next year’s budget, the second is to talk about his next job as head of U.S. Central Command.

House appropriators are expected to return to Capitol Hill next week with draft plans for their fiscal 2017 budget, shifting that process from hearings to committee and floor debates. The Senate will do the same later this spring.

Tuesday

Senate Armed Services -- 9:30 a.m. -- Dirksen G50

Combatant commanders

Special Operations Command head Gen. Joseph Votel, Africa Command head Gen. David Rodriguez, and Central Command head Gen. Lloyd Austin III testify before the committee on worldwide operations and the fiscal 2017 budget request.

Senate Homeland Security -- 10 a.m. -- Dirksen 342

Homeland Security budget

Officials from the Department of Homeland Security will testify on their fiscal 2017 budget request.

Senate Armed Services -- 2:30 p.m. -- Hart 216

Military personnel

Service personnel and manpower officials will appear before the committee to discuss issues facing servicemembers and the fiscal 2017 budget request.

Senate Armed Services -- 2:30 p.m. -- Russell 222

Air Force modernization

The airland subcommittee will hear from Air Force acquisition and operations officials about future modernization plans and the fiscal 2017 budget request.

Wednesday

Senate Armed Services -- 10 a.m. -- Dirksen G50

Nominations

The committee will consider the nominations of Gen. Joseph Votel, to move from head of Special Operations Command to leading Central Command, and Lt. Gen. Raymond Thomas III, to replace Votel.

Senate Appropriations -- 10:30 a.m. -- Dirksen 192

Defense health program

The subcommittee on defense will discuss the fiscal 2017 budget request for military health programs and long-term reforms to the system.

Senate Armed Services -- 2:30 p.m. -- Russell 232A

Security cooperation

The subcommittee on emerging threats will hear from outside experts on international security cooperation and assistance programs.

Senate Armed Services -- 2:30 p.m. -- Visitors Center S217

Closed hearing

Committee members will hold a closed session with Air Force Space Command head Gen. John Hyten to discuss his agency’s fiscal 2017 budget request.

Thursday

Senate Foreign Relations -- 10:15 a.m. -- Dirksen 419

Nominations

The committee will consider several nominations, including new ambassadors to Uruguay and Somalia.

Senate Appropriations -- 10:30 a.m. -- Dirksen 192

VA budget

Veterans Affairs officials will testify before committee members about their fiscal 2017 budget request.