On the Agenda: March 12 - 16, 2012

The House is in recess this week, but we've got a couple of Senate hearings and a filing in our Predator Drone Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, which seeks the disclosure of information about the targeted killing program. (Here's our response to the speech Attorney General Eric Holder's made last Monday about targeted killings.)

Monday, March 12

Criminal Justice: Monday, March 12: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) plans to introduce legislation that would codify the Brady standard, which requires federal prosecutors to turn over "evidence favorable to the accused…where the evidence is material either to guilt or punishment." This legislation would protect against prosecutors withholding important evidence in their cases by providing courts with an array of remedial powers when prosecutors violate the law. The legislation will be introduced prior to the anticipated March 15th release of an investigative report on the trial of former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens.

Wednesday, March 14

Employment: The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee will hold hearings on proposed fiscal 2013 appropriations for the Department of Labor. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis will testify.

Thursday, March 15

In Washington we're filing an appeal brief in our FOIA lawsuit seeking information about the use of drone strikes in the government's targeted killing program. While the Departments of State, Justice, and Defense have responded that they have relevant documents, the CIA refuses to confirm or deny that the program exists.

Coming Up:

Employment Discrimination: Equal Pay Day (EPD) will fall on April 17th this year, marking how far women, on average, have to work into 2012 to be paid the same as men were paid in 2011. The ACLU will be working in conjunction with the Administration and the Paycheck Fairness Coalition to roll-out material and promote issues of fair pay for EPD.

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