Congressional Calendar June 9, 2010

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is the topic of a multitude of hearings Wednesday on Capitol Hill. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar starts the day at 9:30 a.m. ET with testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on his department’s oversight duties. A team of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, Minerals Management Agency, and elsewhere discuss the technology needed to clean up such a large spill with a House Science and Technology subcommittee at 10:00 a.m. ET. Later in the morning, House and Senate committees will meet with Gulf Coast business owners to discuss the economic impact the spill is having on the community, and what BP is doing to remediate those impacts.

The push for comprehensive energy legislation, long thought dead by many Hill watchers, has new life thanks to the spill. Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., introduces his energy bill at a 2:15 p.m. ET press conference. Rather than the cap and trade model espoused by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., Lugar’s bill focuses on increasing energy efficiency in automobiles, power plants, and new building construction in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke testifies before the House Budget Committee at 10:00 a.m. ET. He is expected to talk about the state of the U.S. economy. The markets will be watching, and so will we.

It’s a busy day on the Hill, so stay with Fox News for the latest.