On Tuesday, the DC Voting Rights Bill will be debated in the Senate. Earlier this year, my Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia, approved the bill which gives the District of Columbia one vote in the House. Currently, DC is represented in the House of Representatives by a non-voting delegate.

On Wednesday, my Committee on Veterans' Affairs will hold an oversight hearing on VA's use of information technology. While VA, like other federal agencies, has made dramatic strides in its use of IT, there are many areas of concern, such as how well VA protects the personal information of those in its data bases and how the department is making improvements in its overall use of IT, which are ripe for Committee oversight. My hearing will explore all of the relevant issues.

Wednesday evening, I have the distinct pleasure of presenting the Partnership for Public Service's Career Achievement Medal to David Vesely, Chief of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at he James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa, Florida. Dr. Vesely is being honored for his role in discovering three hormones made by the heart that are leading to new treatments for congestive heart failure, kidney failure and cancer.

On Thursday, the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees will meet jointly to hear the annual legislative presentation by the American Legion. On Friday, I will meet with American Legion Magazine writer Jeff Stoffer to discuss the work of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee.