Another quiet week in Washington. President Obama is on vacation in Martha’s Vineyard until August 27. Congress is in recess until September.

House Hearings: WEDNESDAY—A Natural Resources subcommittee holds a field hearing in Grand Junction, Colo., on “American Jobs and Energy Security: Domestic Oil Shale–the Status of Research, Regulation and Roadblocks.” FRIDAY—A Small Business subcommittee holds a field hearing in Greenwood Village, Colo., on “Local Perspectives on the State of Small Business Lending.”

Executive Branch: After a brief stop in Mongolia, Vice President Biden travels to Japan today before wrapping up his Asia trip on August 24. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack tours the headquarters of the Michigan Biomanufacturing Institute. National Institute of Standards and Technology Director Patrick Gallagher visits Greensboro, N.C., for a Manufacturing Makes It Real Network event. On Thursday, Acting Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank travels to Youngstown, Ohio, for a meeting of the Innovation Advisory Board.

Economic Reports: From the New York Times: “Data scheduled to be released this week will include new-home sales for July (Tuesday); durable goods for July (Wednesday); weekly jobless claims (Thursday); and the first revision of second-quarter gross domestic product and the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment index for August (Friday).” More from the Washington Post.