| By Rebecca Kheel and Ellen Mitchell The inclement weather caused the Senate's first week back from the holidays to sputter out, but both chambers of Congress are slated to be back in town in the coming week. Lawmakers will jump back into a familiar task -- funding the government before a shutdown deadline. The stopgap spending measure lawmakers passed last month funds the government through Jan. 19, giving Congress eight legislative days to avert a government shutdown. Also looming are across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration, which will go into place in mid-January if Congress does not reach a deal to raise budget caps. This past week, congressional leaders met with White House officials to try to work out a budget deal, but made little progress. Much like previous budget negotiations, one of the main hang-ups appears to be defense vs. nondefense spending. Democrats are again insisting that any increase in defense spending be matched with an equal increase in nondefense spending. "So I hear the majority leader say that he's not for parity. Parity's not a word. It's veterans. It's people who are needing opioid relief. It's working-class folks," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said this week. Immigration and protections for young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children also continue to be a sticking point. Just before the New Year, Defense Secretary James Mattis said the continuing resolutions (CR) have not hurt military readiness, but that anything beyond January could. "So far, the CR probably has not extended the problem, thanks to the additional monies we got last year," Mattis told reporters Dec. 29. "Those monies have been spent, and so productions are still going, but we've got to get a budget by January, or there would be an impact." Think tanks and congressional committees also wake up from their holiday lull next week with a slew of events and hearings. Brookings will hold a discussion on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, "American and Japanese views of threats and options compared," at 10 a.m. Monday in Washington D.C. http://brook.gs/2CZ5TGV The Surface Navy Association will hold their annual National Symposium featuring top Navy officials, including Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, from Tuesday through Thursday at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va. http://bit.ly/2CJ1kmg A Senate Foreign Relations subpanel will discuss oversight and response to the attacks on U.S. diplomats in Cuba at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Dirksen Senate Office Building, room 419. http://bit.ly/2m2jyFc The House Homeland Security Committee will hear from border security agents on a wide range of security issues at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the House Visitor Center, room 210. http://bit.ly/2qw96Lq Former Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken will speak on "What to Worry About in 2018" at the Council of Foreign Relations at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in Washington, D.C. http://on.cfr.org/2CGOhlw A House Armed Services subcommittee will hear from outside experts on China's pursuit of emerging and exponential technologies at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday in Rayburn House Office Building, room 2118. http://bit.ly/2CG6nnB Pentagon Comptroller David Norquist will testify before the full House Armed Services Committee on the Defense Department's efforts with the Financial Improvement and Audit Remediation (FIAR) Plan at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Rayburn 2118. http://bit.ly/2CXcPUX The House Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on home loan churning practices and how veterans are being affected at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Cannon House Office Building, room 334. http://bit.ly/2Ec8SLA The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hear from an outside expert on sanctions and financial pressure as national security tools at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Rayburn 2172. http://bit.ly/2CBbVQh House Foreign Affairs Committee member Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) will speak at the Stimson Center on past and future South Asian crises at 9 a.m. Thursday at the center's headquarters in Washington, D.C. http://bit.ly/2lYuiUT The full Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hear from a State Department official on the U.S. policy in Syria post Islamic State in Iraq and Syria at 10 a.m. Thursday in Dirksen 419. http://bit.ly/2E9FeGL Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) will discusses "President Trump's 'Ultimate Deal': Is Israeli-Palestinian Peace Possible?" at 12 p.m. Thursday at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. http://bit.ly/2Cxj1Sn The think tank New America will hold a discussion on the military prison at Guantanamo Bay under Trump at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday at 740 15th St. NW. http://bit.ly/2lXKR3c Recent stories: - Senators battle over defense spending in budget talks - Mattis: Military exercises delayed during Olympics to restart at end of March - Senate confirms ex-Lockheed exec for top Pentagon policy role - House Dem calls for bill to restrict Trump's ability to launch preemptive nukes - Trump ratchets up support for demonstrators in Iran - Trump admin suspends security assistance to Pakistan - Trump shifts gears on Afghanistan - Trump nuclear button tweet sparks backlash | 
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