• The debt ceiling. Later in the day, Senate Banking held a hearing on the national debt, namely the economic consequences of a debt limit default.
• Affordable housing. Senate Finance spoke with analysts and advocates.

Wednesday
 
This is a jam-packed policy and politics buffet.
 
The Senate, Wednesday evening, plans to vote on a bill overturning D.C.’s new criminal code reform.
 
The House may vote on a bill related to COVID, requiring government agencies to declassify information and produce a report about research.
 
As for committees, stand back:

• The world’s largest threats. The director of national intelligence and the directors of the CIA, FBI and NSA all plan to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee in what is usually an eye-opening hearing about worldwide threats. (If you miss this, the same people will speak to the House counterpart on Thursday.)
• The Afghanistan withdrawal and evacuation. The House Foreign Affairs Committee holds a hearing with aid groups on the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021. An active-duty member of the Marine Corps will be testifying, though in his personal capacity. It is exceedingly rare for a current member of the military to publicly criticize U.S. policy.
• Authority to go to war. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is marking up a bill to repeal the 2002 authorization that helped enable the Iraq War.
• Starbucks. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the new chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, initially planned to vote on subpoenaing Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz over his company’s pushback against unions. Schultz had declined the committee’s invitation to testify. The subpoena was slated for Wednesday. But on the eve of issuing a subpoena, the Vermont independent announced that Starbucks’ CEO will now appear to testify later in the month.
• A ‘parents’ rights’ bill. The House Education and Workforce Committee is marking up the “Parents Bill of Rights Act,” a bill sponsored by Rep. Julie Letlow, R-La. Supporters say the bill gives parents transparency into what is being taught to their children and more chances to be heard. Critics say it is a swipe at LGBTQ students and a burden on teachers. The committee is also marking up an anti-trans bill that would make it a Title IX violation for recipients of federal financial assistance to allow transgender girls or women to participate in girls’ and women’s athletic programs.
• Social media. The Senate Judiciary Committee will focus on Section 230, the law that protects social media companies from most civil lawsuits over material posted by users.
• A long, historic nomination. The Senate Small Business Committee holds a confirmation hearing for Dilawar Syed to be the No. 2 at the Small Business Administration. First nominated two years ago, Syed was blocked by a tie vote in the last Congress. If confirmed, he will be the highest-ranking Muslim American in government.
• Homelessness. Senate Banking is looking at what the federal government can do to end homelessness.
• How COVID started. This one could drive headlines. The House COVID subcommittee is holding a hearing on the origin of the coronavirus, especially considering the idea that the virus escaped from a lab in Wuhan, China.
• Wildfires. The House Budget Committee looks at their cost.
• On the energy front: the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.  A subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee looks at the recent depletion of the SPR, a collection of salt caverns in Texas and Louisiana that can hold at least 700 million barrels of oil.
• Artificial intelligence. Another House Oversight subcommittee, this one meets to talk about the risks of AI.
• Regulating the nation’s bodies of water. The Small Business Committee looks at a policy many conservatives are eager to block and environmentalists want to preserve: the so-called “Waters of the United States” rule that makes more bodies of water subject to federal oversight.
• Artwork and history at the Capitol. The Joint Committee of the Library holds its first, organizational meeting of this Congress. This lesser-known bicameral committee oversees placement of artwork at the Capitol building, including consideration of the collection of paintings and statues honoring Confederate and pro-slavery Americans. If you are interested in seeing this small group, the live stream will be here.

Thursday
 
The Senate will likely have left town by mid-afternoon after a big hearing in the morning. The House plans to be here all day and leaves Friday.
 
Committee hearings

• The East Palestine train derailment. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has a marquee hearing on the Norfolk Southern disaster, with the company’s CEO among the witnesses. 
• Inflation. A House Oversight subcommittee is looking into inflation as a preventable crisis. 
• Pandemic funds. A House Oversight subcommittee will hear testimony on how to prevent further fraud or waste of pandemic funds. Inspectors general are testifying.
• Russian mercenaries. We told you this week has everything. The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, holds a hearing on countering a notorious group of Russian mercenaries. (The commission is technically independent of Congress but is made up entirely of members of Congress.)
• Israel and the Middle East. The House Foreign Affairs Committee is looking at how to expand the Abraham Accords, in which several Middle Eastern countries recognized Israel.
• Commodities. Lawmakers on the House Agriculture Committee are looking into the global commodity derivatives market.

Friday
 
Not as many hearings this day, with the Senate gone and the House warming up the engines.  But a few highlights:

• Biden family. Before leaving town, the full Oversight Committee is holding a hearing entitled, “The Biden Family Investigation: the Treasury.” There is a single witness: an assistant secretary for legislative affairs of the Treasury.
• The president’s budget. Also Friday morning, the Ways and Means Committee has Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in the chair to discuss the president’s plan for spending federal dollars. (President Joe Biden’s budget is expected to be released Thursday.)
• Hypersonic enemies (and U.S. weapons). Again, something for everyone! The House Armed Services Committee has a hearing on hypersonic programs, meaning weapons that fly at speeds of Mach 5 or above. For reference, Maverick fictitiously hit Mach 10 in the “Top Gun” sequel.
• Flood insurance. House Financial Services is looking into how to encourage more people to buy flood insurance.
• The 2022 midterms. This one is interesting, and we are going to make some calls to understand the focus here. The House Administration Committee is looking into “Successes in the 2022 Midterm Elections.”
• Weekend preparedness. This is our own in-house NewsHour committee. Sometime Friday evening, we will shift into weekend mode. Still on the grid, but slightly less so. Plus, better meals.

PARENTS SHARE WHY GENDER-AFFIRMING CARE IS VITAL FOR THEIR TRANS KIDS

By Dorothy Hastings, @d0r0thyh
National Affairs Producer
 
By Joshua Barajas
Senior Editor, Digital
 
Across the country, Republican legislators have filed at least 150 bills that target transgender Americans.
 
About 100 of those bills specifically restrict doctors and other providers from offering transition-related health care for minors. The spectrum of gender-affirming care includes elements of social affirmation and transition, like using someone’s appropriate pronouns or a name that they’ve chosen for themselves. The care also includes medical treatments such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgical procedures. The treatments are widely endorsed by major medical organizations.
 
The PBS NewsHour spoke with several parents who have been closely watching the growing list of anti-trans bills being filed in state houses.
 
Rori Picker Neiss said her son transitioned at 7 years old, adding that it “was not something that was particularly eventful,” and involved a name change, different pronouns and a new haircut.
 
But she and the other parents we talked to are deeply concerned about what these laws mean for their children. Picker Neiss, who’s worked with health care professionals for months to map out the best care for her son, is worried about a recent slate of bills working through Missouri’s Republican-led legislature that limit trans students' participation in youth sports and restrict trans minors' access to gender-affirming care. Currently, there are at least 34 anti-LGBTQ bills in Missouri, according to the American Civil Liberties Union’s tracker. 
 
“To think … that the government could be telling you that they know better than this entire team of people to stop you from accessing lifesaving medical care — that in and of itself is terrifying,” she said.
 
The NewsHour’s Gabrielle Hays contributed.


#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Serena Golden, @SerenaEGolden 
Senior Editor, Digital
 
The Federal Reserve tends to make news when interest rate hikes are on the table, as Chairman Jerome Powell suggested at today’s oversight hearing.
 
But its role in setting monetary policy entails a wide range of responsibilities most of us don’t think about much, such as removing old bills from circulation when they no longer meet quality standards. In fact, the Fed estimates that the lifespan of a typical $5 bill is just 4.7 years, while the average $1 bill makes it 6.6 years. 
 
Our question: What is the estimated average lifespan of a $100 bill? The closest guess — without going over — will win.
 
Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
 
Last week, we asked: When did the U.S. government first offer federal student loans?
 
The answer: 1958. After the Soviets launched the first satellite in 1957, President Eisenhower signed the National Defense Education Act in 1958 to help the U.S. education system better compete. Student loans were provided to those studying engineering, math, and science, among other subjects.
 
Congratulations to our winners: Jim Brydon and Barry Weinstein!
 
Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.