Committee Watch: Human Trafficking at the Southern Border, Terror & Misinformation on Social Media, Plus AI’s Ethical Questions

Before bills and nominations are brought up for a passage vote in Congress, they typically have to be considered and approved by relevant committees ― which also conduct oversight of federal agencies. Here’s a look at what Congressional committees will be holding hearings on this week.

Schedule subject to change. All times Eastern.

TUESDAY

• The Senate Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing titled “The State of the Derivatives Market and Perspectives for CFTC Reauthorization”. 9:45am
• The Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled “Should Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac be Designated as Systemically Important Financial Institutions”. 10am
• The House Education & Labor Committee will hold a hearing titled “Do No Harm: Examining the Misapplication of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act”. 10:15am
• The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold a hearing to consider eight bills, four treaties, and a nomination. 2:30pm

WEDNESDAY

• The Senate Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing titled “Unprecedented Migration at the U.S. Southern Border: The Exploitation of Migrants through Smuggling, Trafficking, and Involuntary Servitude” featuring testimony from officials with Customs & Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). 9:30am
• The House Homeland Security Committee will hold a hearing titled “Examining Social Media Companies’ Efforts to Counter Online Terror Content and Misinformation” featuring testimony from representatives of Facebook, Google, and Twitter. 10am
• The House Oversight Committee will hold a hearing titled “Violations of the Hatch Act Under the Trump Administration” and consider a related subpoena of White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway. 10am
• The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee will hold a hearing titled “Artificial Intelligence: Societal and Ethical Implications”. 10am
• The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing to review the implementation of the Land and Water Conservation Fund program. 10am
• The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a hearing titled “Amtrak: Next Steps for Passenger Rail”. 10am
• The Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing titled “Fixing a Broken Budget and Spending Process: Securing the Nation’s Fiscal Future” featuring testimony from the comptroller general. 2:30pm

THURSDAY

• The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing to consider the nominations of three district court judges, a circuit court judge, a marshal, and four prescription drug-related bills. 10am
• The Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing titled “Oversight and Reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank of the United States”. 10am
• The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing to examine options for nuclear waste storage and the Nuclear Waste Administration Act. 10am

See the full Senate committee schedule here.

See the full House committee schedule here.

Tell your reps what you think they should be focusing on and share your thoughts on the week’s schedule in the comments below!

― Eric Revell