Week ahead: Congress returns to decide military action in Syria

While its prospects are unclear in the Senate, the resolution faces much more opposition in the House, where the timing of a vote is up in the air.

{mosads}The chamber could hold a vote late this week, but many believe it will spill into the following week, either because members still need to be swayed or over scheduling issues.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) wrote to lawmakers that he expected the Syria resolution to come up in the next two weeks.

House GOP leaders have not said whether they will work from the Senate’s resolution or draft their own version. Several lawmakers have already put forward proposals.

Additional classified briefings on the situation in Syria are also expected this week as the administration pushes its case.

On Monday, a joint classified briefing for the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees is scheduled, followed by a closed briefing for all House members in the evening.

The House Armed Services Committee will hear from Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey in an open hearing on Syria on Tuesday. The Senate Armed Services panel had the two Pentagon leaders appear in a closed session last week.

While Syria is dominating the conversation, Congress will be tackling more than just military authorization when lawmakers return this week.

In addition to the Syria hearing, the Armed Services panel will be examining undersea warfare capabilities and challenges on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the House and Senate Veterans Affairs committees are holding a joint hearing in order to hear legislative proposals from the American Legion.