Congressional leaders have given themselves a relatively light schedule for this first week of the two-week Easter recess.
House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., is on a promotional tour for his new book, Lessons Learned the Hard Way, through April 18. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, has two town hall meetings in his Dallas-area district scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., has no public events scheduled, although he makes a special guest appearance on "Lateline" with Al Franken at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., is taking personal time, while Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., is traveling in South Dakota today through Wednesday. On Wednesday, he will be in Aberdeen in the morning with Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman to tour an ethanol production plant and attend a farm forum. At 1 p.m. Wednesday, Daschle is scheduled to speak to local economic development officials in Pierre.
Meanwhile, Senate Commerce Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., will speak Tuesday in Ottawa, Canada, to the Canadian Club of Ottawa about free trade and government regulation. On Friday, McCain will join Commerce ranking member Ernest (Fritz) Hollings, D-S.C., for a town hall meeting on tobacco legislation to be held in Florence, S.C.
President Clinton also will be getting out of town this week. On Tuesday morning, he departs for Kansas City to attend the first of several planned forums to be hosted by the Concord Coalition and the American Association of Retired Persons about the future of Social Security. Clinton will be accompanied by Sens. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and Bob Kerrey, D-Neb., and Reps. Kenny Hulshof, R-Mo., and Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D. Clinton and the four members of Congress will offer speeches and then expect to hear the views and the questions of a cross-section of Kansas City residents.
Clinton will also participate by satellite in several town meetings with members of Congress being held around the country. On Wednesday, Clinton will visit a Chicago public school with Sen. Carol Moseley-Braun, D-Ill., to tout the need for funding initiatives to modernize schools around the country. On Thursday, Clinton will speak about tobacco in a state keenly concerned with the issue: Kentucky.
NEXT STORY: Clinton, GOP leader trade budget barbs