On Monday, January 22, I will meet with the Governor of American Samoa, Togiola Tulafono, to discuss the Senate's bill to raise the federal minimum wage.

Tuesday looks to be an especially busy day for me, culminating with President George W. Bush's seventh State of the Union address.

Tuesday morning, my Veterans' Affairs Committee will hold an oversight hearing on collaboration and cooperation between the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to meet the needs of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Witnesses include the Honorable David S.C. Chu, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, and the Honorable Gordon H. Mansfield, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

I will also attend the Armed Services Committee hearing on the nomination of LTG David Petraeus as General and Commander of the Multi-National Forces in Iraq.

Tuesday afternoon, Mayor Mufi Hannemann will visit my office to discuss the status of Honolulu's rail transit project.

On Wednesday, I am participating in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on a recent report by the Energy Information Administration regarding the economic impacts of a "cap and trade system" approach to reducing greenhouse gases.

Wednesday afternoon, FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair will visit my Senate office to discuss banking issues.

Five of my six Senate committees meet on Thursday. The Armed Services Committee meets to hear from a number of Middle East experts including former Defense Secretary Dr. William Perry, and former Army Vice Chief of Staff General John Keane.

The Indian Affairs Committee meets to discuss committee rules and funding issues.

The Banking and Urban Affairs Committee hearing examines the billing, marketing, and disclosure practices of the credit card industry and its impact on consumers.

The Energy Committee will discuss oil and gas resources on the outer continental shelf and examine leasing proposals for the Gulf of Mexico.

Thursday afternoon, my Homeland Security and governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management will explore the federal government's foreign language strategy.

On Friday, I will attend a special awards ceremony for our graduating Senate Pages. Kaneohe's Tori Miyagi will be ending his service as a Senate Page. This young man, a student at Hawaii Baptist Academy, has done a fantastic job and I've seen tremendous growth in his abilities in the four months he's been on the Hill. Congratulations Tori!