Rescheduling (Updated)

The Pentagon's official submission of its fiscal year 2013 budget request a week later than usual has pushed back the dates lawmakers had set for hearings to question senior Defense Department leadership.

Instead of meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 7, the Senate Armed Services Committee will host Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey the following Tuesday, Feb. 14, according to a committee statement.

The hearing featuring Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, originally set for Feb. 14, will be rescheduled to a later date, as will the Feb. 9 hearing with Navy Adm. Robert Willard, head of U.S Pacific Command, and Army Gen. James Thurman, head of U.S. Forces Korea.

Other scheduled Senate hearings include:

March 1: Supreme Allied Commander, Europe Adm. James Stavridis; U.S. Africa Command chief Gen. Cater Ham; and U.S. Transportation Command head Gen. William Fraser.

March 6: Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis, head of U.S. Central Command; and Navy Adm. William McRaven, head of U.S. Special Operations Command.

March 8: Army Secretary John McHugh and Chief of Staff Gen. Raymond Odierno.

UPDATE 4:30 p.m.: The committee now plans to hold a hearing on Feb. 28 featuring Fraser of TRANSCOM and Willard of PACOM.