U.S. Representatives John Sarbanes (D-Md.) and Donna Edwards (D-Md.), and Maryland Democratic Party Chairwoman Susan Turnbull will discuss the Democratic Party’s biggest priorities and challenges – both in Maryland and nationwide. Sarbanes will discuss the recent Supreme Court decision to lift restrictions on corporate campaign spending, and the fight for health care reform. Edwards will discuss infrastructure improvements in her district, politicians working together to achieve results, and doing right by the taxpayer. Turnbull will discuss her work moving Maryland’s Democratic Party forward, and how important federal employees are to the state’s success.

Lastly, national Democratic strategist and former Clinton White House staffer Bob Weiner will touch on a range of subjects including health care reform and the recent Massachusetts Senate election.

“Inside Government” is hosted by AFGE Assistant General Counsel J. Ward Morrow. Programs are archived on the Federal News Radio Web site and can be heard on demand at http://www.federalnewsradio.com or http://www.afge.org/insidegovernment. Please note there will be a short advertisement prior to the start of the program. The program also is available via iTunes podcast by clicking here. Users must install iTunes on their computers before accessing “Inside Government” via podcast.

Listeners also can follow the program on Facebook (AFGE Inside Government) and Twitter (@afgeradioshow).

For instructions on how to listen to “Inside Government,” click here.

For more information, please e-mail InsideGovernment@afge.org or go to www.federalnewsradio.com.

The VBA, which has been inundated with benefits claims from service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, is facing a monumental challenge in delivering services in a timely manner. To address these systemic challenges, AFGE has worked closely with congressional leaders to enact legislation, P.L. 110-389, to modernize the VBA’s disability claims process by improving quality assurance, certification and training procedures, and overhauling the current work credit and work management system.

“The Veterans Benefits Improvement Act (P.L. 110-389) provides many valuable tools that will significantly reduce an inventory of one million claims by getting each claim processed accurately the first time,” said McCray. “The urgency of putting these tools into practice grows greater with each new claim in the queue.”

“VBA is under intense pressure to tackle the mounting claims backlog and ensure that every veteran’s claim is processed timely and accurately,” said McCray. “VBA employees are committed to ensuring that veterans receive the benefits they deserve, but you can’t get blood from a turnip.” VBA has been hampered in its ability to effectively reduce the backlog because far too many employees lack the appropriate training necessary to master the complex skill of processing claims.

AFGE urges VBA to ensure that managers, as well as frontline employees, are provided the proper training to accurately process claims the first time. Unfortunately, as is common now, managers without sufficient expertise are unable to carry out quality assurance duties, leading to greater errors, which in turn lead to greater delays. Therefore, it is critical that managers pass the same certification tests required of senior claims processors. AFGE is troubled that VBA may be considering excluding senior levels of management – the very officials who have significant fiduciary duties – from the supervisor skills certification requirement.

AFGE also recommends that VBA develop an accurate work credit system that could lay the foundation for an effective work credit system. To date, VBA has not adjusted individual employee production standards to reflect the increasing complexity and difficulty of the claims process. These production standards should be a reasonable reflection of how much an employee can be expected to perform with an acceptable level of accuracy.

“As long as employees are subjected to arbitrary and unreasonable production standards, the claims development process will remain flawed by inefficiencies and incomplete claims developments,” said McCray. “The ultimate harm falls upon the veterans, who are deprived of a full, fair and timely consideration of their claims.”

The 2011 budget goes a long way to take care of our nation’s veterans and our retirees. “We are relieved that President Obama recognizes how understaffed the Social Security Administration is. This increase will go a long way in reducing the unacceptable backlog in handling and processing disability claims, appeals and hearings that has been created by years of understaffing, the aging baby boomers and the economic recession,” continued Gage.

AFGE lauded the decision to increase Veterans Administration funding. “For too long, the unpredictability and inadequacy of the VA’s discretionary funding process has had an adverse impact on the care of our nation’s veterans. With an increase in funding of 20% since 2009, and with advanced appropriations, the 2011 budget honors veterans by fortifying the world-class medical care they deserve,” said J. David Cox, AFGE national secretary-treasurer and former VA nurse.

“We are also pleased that President Obama recognizes the need to strengthen the federal prison system, including a significant increase in full-time employee positions. The imminent threat that understaffing has posed to federal correctional officers, prisoners and the communities that surround the prisons have become a dangerous matter of life or death. Proper staffing will help alleviate the dire situation in our federal prisons,” said Gage.

The 2011 budget touches on the need to control contractor costs. “We are as committed to eliminating waste, fraud and abuse with the federal government as anyone. However, many federal agencies have not yet recovered from the onslaught they experienced during the past administration. We are eager for more defined guidance on the insourcing of government jobs. Over the past decade far too many American tax dollars were wasted away through sole-source contracts and misguided personnel systems. The boost in the acquisition workforce in the 2011 budget points to a desire for more government efficiency which would allow agencies to rein in their budgets while still hiring more federal employees,” said Gage.

The president’s budget also proposes increases for the EPA, the FDA and for OSHA. “We commend the essential and necessary strengthening of our nation’s regulatory agencies. With additional staff, the right people at the head of these agencies and sufficient resources, these agencies will be better able to fulfill their missions of protecting the American public from bacteria outbreaks in our food chain; on the job injuries and deaths; and environmental danger. Regulation in these vital areas can only preserve the health and well being of our country.”

However, the proposed budget includes no additional funding for the Federal Protective Service - one of the nation's most important homeland security agencies. “In past three years, the GAO has come out with no less than four reports detailing the impact of insufficient funding and manpower and the vulnerability it has created in our national homeland security safety net. The agency remains underfunded, understaffed and unimproved in any real way. We hope that Congress will provide the necessary funding to secure the nation's federal buildings,” concluded Gage.

Click here to review President Obama's proposed budget.

Gage will touch on a number of key issues at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), including Erroll Southers’ recent decision to remove his name from consideration as TSA administrator. Gage then will detail AFGE’s plan moving forward to secure collective bargaining rights for TSOs.

AFGE U.S. Marshals Service Local 2272 President Jason Wilder will discuss critical outsourcing problems at the nation’s oldest law enforcement agency, including the impact on career paths, promotions and employee morale. Wilder also will detail his local’s efforts to communicate with agency management to correct the problems.

Lastly, political journalist Bill Press, host of “The Bill Press Show,” will address the state of affairs in Washington politics – from health care reform to President Obama’s proposed government spending freeze.

“Inside Government” is hosted by AFGE Assistant General Counsel J. Ward Morrow. Programs are archived on the Federal News Radio Web site and can be heard on demand at http://www.federalnewsradio.com or http://www.afge.org/insidegovernment. Please note there will be a short advertisement prior to the start of the program. The program also is available via iTunes podcast by clicking here. Users must install iTunes on their computers before accessing “Inside Government” via podcast.

Listeners also can follow the program on Facebook (AFGE Inside Government) and Twitter (@afgeradioshow).

For instructions on how to listen to “Inside Government,” click here.

For more information, please e-mail InsideGovernment@afge.org or go to www.federalnewsradio.com.

“At this point, we don’t know how this cap on spending will work. We need to look at the appropriations and see what’s been capped, what’s been expanded upon and how it will affect government employees. What we do know, is that any cuts cannot come at the cost of government agencies that are already struggling to provide the American public with the service they deserve. We can no longer afford to pander to Wall Street, corporations and insurance companies’ bonuses and payouts while hard working government employees can barely get the job done with the meager resources which they have been provided.

“We urge President Obama to continue to place the highest priorities on veterans’ care; protecting our nation’s borders; fully funding our federal prisons and the Social Security Administration to better protect our communities and serve America’s retirees; and appointing and confirming strong leadership at the head of the Transportation Security Administration.

“Now is the time to rearrange the priorities of this administration and take care of the middle class, to take back inherently governmental jobs, fight for real change for working families and further our shared goal of a better government for all Americans.”