• Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) calls in as a part of Current TV’s “Currently: Feeding The Need” Hunger Initiative at 10am ET / 7am PT to talk about farm bills to control prices, provide nutritional programs and help small farming businesses provide jobs

• Defense Secretary Leon Panetta cautioned against reaching early conclusions about allegations against the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, Gen. John Allen, who is under investigation for what Pentagon officials have said may be “inappropriate” correspondence with a Florida woman linked to the David Petraeus sex scandal.

• Labor union leaders emerged from talks with President Obama on Tuesday vowing a side-by-side battle against Republicans to bring about higher taxes on the wealthy as part of an effort to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff.

• Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) spoke out for the first time following the Republican presidential ticket’s loss last Tuesday in an interview with his local Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper, saying he was shocked on Election Night.

• Newly elected and returning Democratic members of Congress said Tuesday as they returned to Washington DC that they won by focusing on protecting and expanding entitlements and by calling for higher taxes on upper-income people.