Washington may be in a deep freeze right now, but even the cold can’t ruin the excitement in the air. Tomorrow is one of the best days of the year here in DC.
That’s right, folks. The State of the Union is tomorrow at 9 PM ET. Cancel your evening plans, and pencil it in if you didn’t already have it marked in your calendar.
The general consensus seems to be that President Obama will focus on income inequality. For our part, we’re hoping to hear lots about civil liberties issues, from the NSA to equal pay, but there’s only one way to find out: by tuning into the speech on Tuesday night. We’re going to live tweet the speech from @ACLULive, so follow us for immediate commentary and insights.
Of course, the State of the Union isn’t the only thing happening this week. Here’s what else is on our agenda (see what I did there?):
Monday, January 27th
Reproductive Rights
The House Rules Committee will consider the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 7).
Tuesday, January 28th
State of the Union
The President will deliver the State of the Union at 9 PM ET.
NSA Reform
The Advisory Committee to the Congressional Internet Caucus will hold its State of the Net 2014. Legislative Counsel Michelle Richardson will speak on a panel titled “Reforming the NSA Surveillance System: Assessing the Options.”
Wednesday, January 29th
DOJ Oversight
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing titled “Oversight of the U.S. Department of Justice.” Witnesses include U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.
Women’s Rights
Senator Gillibrand will host a legislative briefing titled, “Women in Combat: One Year Later.” The ACLU is a cosponsor of the event.
Employment
January 29 marks the five year anniversary of the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
Guantanamo
Esperanza Spalding, Grammy Award-winning jazz artist, will host a concert on January 29 at 7 PM at the Lincoln Theater in support of closing Guantanamo Bay. The event is sold out, though free tickets may be available at the door in case of no-shows. For more information, click here.
Thursday, January 30th
Cybersecurity
The Department of Homeland Security Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee (DPIAC) will host a public meeting to discuss information sharing, privacy, and big data.
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