Week Ahead

The week ahead features a high-profile nomination hearing and a think tank appearance by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) likely to address lawmakers' ongoing work on the proposed National Defense Authorization Act and the Obama administration's veto threat.

Tuesday

The Senate Armed Services Committee is holding a hearing to consider Air Force Gen. Paul Selva's nomination to become the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Selva is the current chief of U.S. Transportation Command. The committee is also scheduled to consider Air Force Gen. Darren McDrew's nomination to succeed Selva at TRANSCOM.

Wednesday

McCain is scheduled to appear at the Heritage Foundation in Washington to discuss Pentagon budgets, reforms and the proposed NDAA.

The bill is scheduled to reach Obama's desk at the end of the month, but he has threatened to veto it unless the legislation lifts 2011 Budget Control Act spending caps for non-defense and defense priorities alike.

McCain is expected to depart after his remarks, but will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Todd Harrison, a defense budget analyst at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments; Roger Zakheim, a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute; and John Bonsell, vice president for government affairs at Science Applications International Corp. The discussion will be moderated by Justin Johnson, senior policy analyst for defense budgeting policy at Heritage.

Friday

Alan Estevez, principal deputy under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, is scheduled to appear at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Friday to discuss defense acquisition reform.

Jacques Gansler, the former Pentagon acquisition chief who now serves as director for the Center for Public Policy and Private Enterprise at the University of Maryland, and retired General John P. Jumper, a former Air Force chief of staff and SAIC CEO, are also set to attend. The discussion will be moderated by Andrew Hunter, former director of the Pentagon's joint rapid acquisition cell who now runs the defense-industrial initiatives group at CSIS.