Tim Kaine

An early poll shows former Virginia governors Tim Kaine and George Allen are in a dead heat in the U.S. Senate race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Jim Webb.

This week on AFGE’s “Inside Government” former Virginia governor and U.S. Senate candidate Tim Kaine touts public service and the role of federal employees while Former AFGE National President John Gage discusses the union’s labor contract agreement with the Transportation Security Administration. Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale also appears.

Former Virginia Governors George Allen and Tim Kaine offer contrasting ideas on issues affecting federal employees and contractors. In Maryland, former federal employee Dan Bongino is challenging incumbent Sen. Ben Cardin for his seat. Bongino and Cardin hold similar views on a number of employee issues.

Following Tuesday’s election, Democrats maintain control of the Senate and Republicans continue to hold sway in the House. Retirements, term limits and a few new lawmakers alter the leadership of some committees.

This week on AFGE’s “Inside Government” the program revisits several memorable interviews from 2012. Guests include Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., and Donna Christensen, D- Virgin Islands, and former Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D- Ohio, who participated in a congressional roundtable on health care reform. Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Rebuild the Dream President and Co-founder Van Jones also appear.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel put the ball in Congress’ court this week when he released details of how the Pentagon would manage billions of dollars in cuts if sequestration continues into fiscal 2014 and beyond. But, there’s not yet anything close to a winning strategy in Congress to avert or replace the automatic budget cuts.

On the In Depth show blog, you can listen to our interviews, find more information about the guests on the show each day, as well as links to other stories and resources we discuss.

Under federal “use it or lose it” rules, any unspent money employees set aside last year to pay for out-of-pocket health costs, such as prescriptions or co-pays, is forfeited at the end of the year. But a group of senators from states surrounding the Washington, D.C., area, wants to change that. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) along with Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) wrote to Katherine Archuleta, the head of the Office of Personnel Management, requesting the agency implement new regulations that would allow federal employees to roll over as much as $500 in unused funds from year to year.

Federal News Radio’s DoD Reporter Jared Serbu offers news tidbits and buzz about the Defense Department.

Feds participating in the Federal Flexible Spending Account Program will now be able to rollover up to $500 from one year to the next in unspent funds from their limited expense and health care flexible spending accounts.