Getting summoned to a Capitol Hill hearing is rarely a positive sign for company execs seeking federal merger approval, but this time it could be good news for Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.

The nascent Antitrust Task Force of the House Judiciary Committee announced it will hold a hearing Wednesday on the proposed merger between Sirius and rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc., with phrasing that suggests lawmakers could support the deal.