We expect Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tenn., to offer the White House legislation on military commissions later today on the Senate floor. But what happens from there is unclear. Some key Senate Republicans don't endorse some portions of the administration's approach. 

The Senate Armed Services Committee, headed by John Warner, R-Va., has been working on its own version of a bill on military commissions. Warner and fellow committee Republicans Sens. John McCain, Ariz., and Lindsey Graham, S.C., along with the committee Democrats, have been at odds with the administration on the best way to move forward from the beginning. In overly simplistic terms, a majority of the committee seeks more protections and rights for detainees during trials. The administration seeks more restrictions for detainees and leans more toward the process that was in place before the Supreme Court deemed it unconstitutional.

According to people familiar with the ongoing talks, the differences center around some of these points:
-- the definition of coercion and whether information obtained through coercion could be used in trial
-- whether a detainee or his lawyers can have access to classified information
-- whether hearsay evidence is admissible
-- and if convicted, do the appeals go to a military court or the D.C. Circuit Court?

The Senate version of the bill is a work in progress. But the people to watch in the next couple of weeks are Frist (who will determine which bill will make its way to the floor for debate and amending); and Warner, McCain and Graham. They stood toe-to-toe with Vice President Dick Cheney last year and won a battle that got the administration to embrace the detainee treatment act.

After an intense yet futile debate on immigration, the Senate returns from a two-week recess braced for another multi-layered battle over the emergency funding bill for the Iraq/Afghanistan wars and hurricane relief. While there is general consensus on the $92 billion requested by the president (and already approved by the House), the Senate bill exceeds that by $14 billion. The GOP mantra of "fiscal restraint" will be tested as conservative Republicans try to push the number back to the president's original request.

And because this is a "must pass" bill, it's become a magnet for what are arguably non-emergency items that have nothing to do with the wars or Katrina relief. Again, conservatives will battle with their own party and any Democratic attempts to add unrelated measures. There has also been talk of a Democratic sponsored resolution for a "no confidence" vote on Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, but at this point it's just talk.

The immigration debate will also weave itself into an emergency supplemental this week, but only in a limited way. In an op-ed over the weekend, Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tenn., says the Senate will act to increase funding for border security: more fencing, aircraft and training for border agents. As for the controversial guest worker proposals with paths to citizenship, Frist said he plans to address it before the end of May. 

On Tuesday the Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing looking at the economic impacts of the various immigration proposals. Testimony will come from experts and academics. 

While there is much talk from both sides of the aisle on high gas prices, at this point there are no hearings or events planned. But that's very likely to change.

This week the Senate will immerse itself in the immigration debate, with what's expected to be a passionate and heated floor debate. There are very few things that are certain about how the debate will proceed, what is likely to become law, or more generally, "who wins, who loses." It contains multi-layered proposals with lots of moving pieces -- both legislative and political. But here are the broad outlines as it relates to what the Senate is doing.

There are two distinct components within immigration reform. The first part -- and the part where there is general consensus -- is physical border security. It involves adding more customs and border agents; better and additional surveillance tools like cameras and sensors; and more walls and fences along the Mexican border.   

The second, and most contentious issue within Republican ranks, deals with the immigrants themselves:  What to do with the 12 million people who are already in the country illegally? How to control the flow of those trying to come in? And, the hot-button issue of guest worker programs: Should those who are already here and working illegally be put on as fast track for permanent residency or should they be forced to return to their home countries and apply for citizenship from there?

So far the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction, has failed to produce a bill that has any type of guest worker provisions, only border security. It plans to meet in a rare Monday session to try to hammer one out addressing guest workers. But if they can't come up with a bill that is satisfactory to Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tenn., he will bring his own simple border security bill to the Senate floor on Tuesday, with no provisions addressing the controversial issues.   

Once that happens, senators will be allowed to offer amendments and call for votes on those more contentious matters, like the guest worker program. It's at this point we'll likely hear the passionate floor speeches and heated debate. 

There are still a few unresolved variables that could change the way this all plays out. Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Nev., has threatened to block Frist's bill, preferring something that comes directly from the committee, which would probably address guest workers. But it's unclear if Reid will have the votes to succeed with a blockade.

And even if the Senate was finally able to pass an immigration reform bill with a guest worker program, it could still never make it to the president's desk. When the House passed its immigration bill last year, it beat back any effort to address guest worker programs or residency status for illegal immigrants. And the House will be expected to put up the same fight if/when the two bills have to be reconciled and sent to President Bush.

This week the Senate will focus on its annual chore of deciding how much to spend and how much to cut from government agencies and programs for next year. And while the President has urged fiscal restraint by calling for substantial cuts in Medicare & Medicaid, the Senate has effectively abandoned his requests (fearing such a move would prove to be an unpopular election year strategy). But as part of its budget bill, the GOP leadership has renewed an effort to open part of Alaska's wildlife refuge to oil drilling, a Bush priority.

The Senate must also address the onerous task of raising the nation's debt ceiling limit by about $780 billion, thereby allowing the country to borrow more money and avoid defaulting on its loans. The all but mandatory vote has to happen by Friday, before the Senate starts another week-long recess next week. It will be a difficult, but necessary evil for Republicans who have been roundly criticized by Democrats for the country's ballooning deficit.

The high cost of gasoline is back before the Senate on Tuesday when the Judiciary Committee brings in the CEOs of the five largest oil companies. At issue is whether the consolidation of the energy industry is raising prices at the pump.   

In other hearings of interest, the Foreign Relations Committee addresses the challenges in the Middle East following Hamas' election victory; and the Government Affairs subcommittee tackles the GAO's annual list that identifies the federal programs that are ineffective and high-risk for waste, fraud, and abuse. Both are on Wednesday.

The threat of a Senate investigation into the controversial NSA surveillance program looms again over the Intelligence Committee this week. In a closed meeting on Tuesday, the panel's Democrats will again attempt to bring the matter up for a vote after being thwarted last month by a White House commitment to work toward a legislative fix and give the panel more oversight over the program. But a final deal has yet to be reached, and without it the vote for an investigation lies with non-committal Republicans Snowe, Maine, and Hagel, Neb.

The administration's recent requests for emergency funding for Hurricane Katrina relief and Iraq/Afghanistan wars will generate three hearings with several high profile witnesses in the Appropriations Committee. On Tuesday morning, the Governors of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas testify before the panel. On Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff and HUD Secretary Jackson weigh in on Gulf Coast assistance. 

And while Thursday's hearing will focus on emergency funds needed for the Global War on Terror, it will more than likely be a referendum of sorts on the war in Iraq. Scheduled to testify are Secretary of State Rice, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, Joint Chiefs of Staff Pace, and Centcom Gen. John Abizaid.  While the Appropriations Committee doesn't have some of the more recognizable names in the Iraq debate, Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Nev., is a panel member and will likely attend.

On the Senate floor this week, expect action on lobbying reform, a bill that would provide more money to a program that assists low income people with heating costs and probably a measure to increase the debt limit. The Democrat's agenda for the week will be to highlight shortcomings in the president's budget that will affect national security, with Reid's first news conference Monday afternoon at 2 p.m. ET.

The Senate appears to have averted a short-term showdown with the White House over the United Arab Emirate's acquisition of six domestic seaports. In a deal brokered over the weekend by Majority Leader Frist, the Dubai company will voluntarily allow for the 45-day national security investigation senators had been clamoring for since the deal went public. But the furor is far from over, as several issues remain unresolved. Among them, will the investigation be transparent and comprehensive enough to quell the criticism and stop a push for a law that would prohibit any foreign country from running American ports? Will a bipartisan group of senators go forward with legislation that would ultimately give Congress the power to approve the deal? 

Those questions will likely be raised in floor debate and in two hearings this week. A Thursday morning hearing in the Banking Committee will look at the legal underpinnings of the acquisition and includes testimony from representatives of the departments of Treasury, Homeland Security, and Defense. Tuesday, the Commerce Committee is designed to examine "what the proposed purchase means for terminal operations at ports."

The ports deal has also renewed the debate on port security, cargo screening and the money needed to pay for both. We can expect Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to face some questions on those points Tuesday in a budget subcommittee hearing. 

The Judiciary Committee holds its second open hearing on the NSA surveillance program Tuesday, this time with testimony from experts and academics on both sides of the debate. This will also be a critical week for the intelligence committee as they continue to negotiate with the White House on the once super-secret spy program. The White House has little more than a week to reach an agreement with the committee on how to give it more oversight and find a legislative fix. On March 7, the committee has the opportunity to vote on whether to launch a broad investigation if members aren't satisfied with the administration's efforts.

Other highlights this week: the Senate should complete the procedural hurdles and renew the Patriot Act with some modifications -- DNI John Negroponte testifies before the Armed Services Committee on worldwide threats on Tuesday. This could also be a forum to quiz him on NSA spying and port security. -- debate starts on Thursday in the Judiciary Committee on a bill allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the county through a guest worker program. This issue has divided many in the GOP. -- A Thursday hearing on mine safety and health resulting from the West Virginia mining tragedies -- two committees start writing lobbying reform bills spawned by the Jack Abramoff scandal.

It appears there's some movement on the part of the White House to reach a compromise with the Senate Intelligence Committee on resolving the NSA domestic eavesdropping controversy and keep the panel from launching an investigation.

Moments ago in a gaggle with reporters, the Republican chairman of the committee, Sen. Pat Roberts, Kansas, said, "I think the White House has now agreed... that it's a work in progress for not only a legislative fix, but additional oversight responsibility. So I think it's a good news thing."

Previously, the administration had put up stiff resistance to a legislative remedy.

The committee is scheduled to meet this afternoon to vote on whether to investigate the NSA surveillance program. About a week ago, Democrats appeared to have enough votes -- with the help of two Republicans -- to authorize an inquiry. But in the past few days Democrats admit the winds have somewhat shifted against them.

Roberts says he'll report his progress to the committee this afternoon; and he seems poised to use this new "meaningful dialogue" to either postpone the vote or eliminate the call for an investigation altogether. "I'm optimistic that if we get enough time, and now that the administration has agreed that it's a work in progress, that we don't do anything else to jeopardize that."

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee holds a Hurricane Katrina hearing today, investigating fraud and problems in connections with various FEMA benefit programs and contracts. The committee's final report should be ready by mid-March.

Tomorrow, The Senate committee tasked with investigating the federal response to Katrina will wrap up its hearings on Tuesday when DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff is expected to come under tough questioning.  In testimony last Friday, former FEMA Director Michael Brown implicated Chertoff and other Bush aides in the government's sluggish response to the disaster.  (And leaked portions of a House committee report on Katrina also point some blame at Chertoff.)

More budget hearings as well on Tuesday: Treasury Secretary John Snow testifies before the Budget Committee and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice comes before the Foreign Relations panel.

More Katrina on Wednesday, as the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee will question HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson on rebuilding efforts. The panel will also hear from new Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on Thursday when he discusses the monetary policy report.

Senators on the Intelligence Committee will meet Thursday to discuss how to proceed on the controversial NSA surveillance program. Committee Democrats and at least three Republicans have expressed -- at a minimum -- concerns about the warrantless wiretaps. A vote on whether to launch an investigation could occur, but Republican Chairman Pat Roberts, Kansas, who finds no fault with the program or its legal underpinnings, may opt for a another approach.

The Senate is also expected to complete work on the much-delayed Patriot Act reauthorization. A small band of Republican senators who had joined most Democrats opposing the current version struck a deal with the White House on fixes last Thursday.

Don't expect any fireworks from Senators John McCain and Barak Obama this afternoon when the two men share a table to testify before a Senate committee on lobbying reform. Two days after McCain launched a strongly worded and blatantly sarcastic letter (.PDF link) accusing Obama of pulling out of bipartisan reform discussions, the senators finally talked and have agreed to put the matter behind them. "We had a nice discussion," McCain said.  "We're moving on."

After talking with both senators, it appears that under the highly charged partisan atmosphere of the senate, McCain inferred something Obama never explicitly said, while Obama wasn't as precise as he could have been in his criticism.

Last week, Obama sent McCain a letter (.PDF link) following up on a bipartisan lobbying reform meeting the men attended -- a working group of sorts. In his letter to McCain, Obama expressed his reluctance "in creating a task force to further study and discuss" the matter before it went to a committee for consideration, fearing it would delay any legislative action. Obama said he and his caucus "believe the more effective and timely course" is to allow the process to go directly to the committees to "ensure that these issues are discussed in a public forum."

McCain interpreted Obama's resistance of a "task force" to mean the working group he'd just joined with Obama. But Obama says he was talking about another task force, not McCain's working group. "The only intention of the letter was to say that [Majority Leader] Bill Frist's original proposal for a task force would be too slow," Obama said yesterday. "John misunderstood the intention of the letter. I never had any interest in not having conversations with [McCain's] working group. That's why I went to the first one."

McCain then assumed that Obama was pulling out of the bipartisan talks altogether, even though Obama didn't explicitly say it in his letter. "That's the way I read it," McCain said.  He also said that if Obama was talking about a Frist proposal, "then the letter should have been addressed to Senator Frist."

This episode is the first public political skirmish for the freshman Senator from Illinois who says he's absolutely committed to working in a bipartisan fashion on reforming Washington. "John McCain's been an American hero and he's served here in Washington for 20 years. So if he wants to get cranky once in a while, that's his prerogative," Obama said.

The controversy over warrantless wiretapping by the NSA takes center stage this week in the Senate with top administration officials making their case before two committees. Today, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testifies before the Judiciary Committee in a public hearing. And on Thursday, Gonzales will be joined by deputy intel czar General Michael Hayden in a closed hearing with the Senate Intelligence Committee. (Hayden used to oversee NSA.)   

Today's judiciary hearing will shed little--if any--new light on the specifics of the program. Instead, expect a debate on the legal underpinnings the administration cites for bypassing the special (FISA) court established by Congress in 1978 to approve wiretapping. Thursday's intelligence session, while closed to the press, may also yield few answers for the senators attending, because the administration thus far will share operational details of the super-secret program with only the panel's chairman (Pat Roberts, R-Kansas) and vice-chairman (John Rockefeller, D-W.V.).

Today Congress also receives the president's budget for fiscal 2007, which begins the parade of cabinet secretaries and agency directors marching to Capitol Hill to justify the billions of dollars they'll need to run their departments. This week's headliners include Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld (with Joint Chiefs Chairman Peter Pace) on Tuesday, Treasury Secretary John Snow on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Office of Management and Budget Director Joshua Bolton on Tuesday.

There may also be as many as three Hurricane Katrina hearings this week, one of which is expected to bring back former FEMA director Michael Brown before the Homeland Security/Governmental Affairs Committee, which is investigating the federal preparation and response.

The Senate Intelligence Committee could take a big step into the fray of NSA spying today when it brings the biggest names in the intelligence community before the panel for its annual public hearing on "Worldwide Threats."  While spying may not be explicitly on the agenda, Democrats will be hard pressed to restrain themselves when given the opportunity to openly question the nation's most powerful people in the world of intelligence. One democratic aide to a committee member privately suggested, "it could get ugly."

Today's hearing, which starts at 10 a.m. ET, will include the leaders of the intel alphabet: DNI (two witnesses), FBI, CIA, DIA, DHS and INR. Translated, the witnesses are John Negroponte, General Michael Hayden, Robert Mueller, Porter Goss, General Michael Maples, Charles All and Carol Rodley, respectively. (Hayden, who is currently No. 2 at DNI, is former head of NSA which executed the eavesdropping program.)

And while the Judiciary Committee receives the most attention for its oversight responsibility over the program -- Attorney General Alberto Gonzales defends the program in a hearing on Monday next week -- the Intelligence Committee appears poised to launch its own investigation. Yes, the committee Republicans control the panel's inquiries with its one vote majority over Democrats, but two Republicans have already signaled their interest to join Democrats and challenge the administration's rationale for warrant-less spying.
        
Almost immediately after the super-secret spy program was revealed in The New York Time late last year, committee Republicans Chuck Hagel, Neb., and Olympia Snowe, Maine, joined a group of committee Democrats calling  for a joint investigation with the Judiciary Committee. Expressing "profound concern," the bipartisan group wrote to the committee's leaders that the revelations of the spying "require immediate inquiry and action by the Senate."

Action from the committee could start as early as this month.  The panel is expected to take up the NSA matter again next Thursday, according to a letter sent from Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, Kansas, to Vice Chairman Jay Rockefeller, W.v. While no vote is scheduled, Rockefeller is pushing for one. In a letter last week to Roberts, Rockefeller reminded the chairman the letter from Hagel, Snowe and others was sent more than five weeks ago. "Many members of our Committee believe that the issues surrounding the NSA domestic surveillance are of such importance... that the Committee needs to take immediate action."

Some of that "immediate action" took place in the committee Wednesday, when the Department of Justice briefed members on the program in closed session. But according to both democratic and republican members, DOJ shed no new light on the NSA program.  Instead, the half dozen or so senators that showed up heard the administration's legal justifications for bypassing the FISA courts for eavesdropping on international calls. 

Sen. Hagel described it as an "intriguing legal constitutional seminar." Another senator, who would only speak on background due to the sensitivity of the committee's business, said it was "purely a legal discussion." And the most Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., would say when asked if she'd learned anything new about the NSA program was, "it was interesting."

One senator described it as a dress rehearsal of sorts for the Justice Department, since Gonzales is expected to make some of the same arguments Monday in his testimony before the Judiciary Committee.  The "dance of definitions" has started, a skeptical senator said. 

The confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito is all but assured this week, with the final vote scheduled for Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET. But because some Democrats, led by Sens. Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, are trying to filibuster the nomination, there will be a procedural vote today at 4:30 p.m. ET. That vote is expected to thwart the filibuster attempt, as some Democrats have announced they don't support the efforts of the Massachusetts senators.

Also on Tuesday, the chamber votes on the confirmation of Ben Bernanke to be the new chairman of the Federal Reserve. He'll receive strong bipartisan support.

There will be hearings on Hurricane Katrina every day this week in the Senate committee tasked with investigating the federal preparation and response to the storm, Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs:

• Today: urban search and rescue
• Tues: evacuating in advance of Katrina
• Wed: evacuating the Superdome & the convention center (New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is main witness)
• Thurs: the role of the governors (Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco both testify)
• Fri: managing law enforcement and communications

The Aging Committee will explore the recent and various problems that have surfaced with the implementation of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit with a hearing on Thursday. And an appropriations subcommittee examines pandemic flu preparedness Tuesday, with testimony from CDC Director Julie Louise Gerberding.

The temporary extension of the Patriot Act -- agreed to late last year -- is set to expire at the end of this week. Barring a quick resolution, it's likely to be extended again for a short period.