Plane Talk - Flight 3332, Seat 2D

Until just a few years ago, I never even thought about running for office, so you can imagine how it feels to be on the cover of the National Journal.

So, what great feat landed me on the cover? I'm in the middle! In the National Journal's rankings of Members of Congress from conservative to liberal, my office landed right in the middle. Not too far to the right. Not too far to the left. In today's polarized world, that's newsworthy!

The middle is the place where things actually have a chance of getting done.

Steve and I were doing yard work this weekend and talking with our next-door neighbor, who describes herself as "passionately in the middle." Of course she was thrilled.

Also last week, four high schools from the Kansas Second Congressional District competed in the annual For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition in Kansas City, Missouri. Each high school team built a robot capable of completing certain tasks; the teams then faced off to see who built the best "bot." Thousands of people show up to cheer on the students, and the final event has music, lights, and awards. It's so much fun.

The Second District was represented by Paola, Valley Heights, Parsons, and Lawrence High Schools. It was great to see so many students celebrating (and I mean celebrating!) science, math and technology.

When I was in school, we never had this much fun. As Kansas continues to move forward in the 21st century economy, we need graduates with talents in science, technology, engineering and math. The FIRST Robotics Competition is a thrilling way to encourage kids to learn these skills.

Thanks to all the sponsors and volunteer coaches who spent countless hours mentoring these teams!

Nancy Boyda
Member of Congress


A Note from Nancy - Strengthening Terrorist Surveillance

When America's political debate breaks down into slogans and shouting matches, our whole country suffers. Just look at the broken debate on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA....

FISA is a critical 1978 law that authorizes the United States government to wiretap suspected criminals and terrorists residing overseas. Since FISA was enacted three decades ago, the communications tools used by terrorists have evolved dramatically, so Congress is now considering proposals to update FISA to meet modern-day security needs.

One FISA proposal, which I emphatically support, tells the executive branch, "Go wiretap the terrorists. Keep America safe. Then, within 14 days, tell a court what you're doing and get their approval. Wiretap first, get permission later."

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Letter of the Week - New Air Force Tanker Should Be Made By Americans

This past Friday, the Pentagon announced that Boeing would not be awarded a $40 billion Air Force contract to produce the next generation of tanker aircraft. Instead, they chose to have the 179 tankers built by EADS, a European aerospace conglomerate, and Northrop Grumman. This is simply outrageous.

This is just wrong in so many ways. By sending the tanker contract to France, the Pentagon has effectively jeopardized 44,000 American jobs. It’s a very real loss to the industrial base. EADS-Northrop will use American workers only for assembly. And let’s not forget that Boeing has experience building tankers – EADS has none. This is about more than keeping jobs in Kansas. It’s about relying on a company with the proven ability to do the job.

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Casework Corner - Passport Season Begins Again!

Even though the passport agencies have recovered from the huge backlogs of last year, I thought it would be wise to provide a quick refresher on passports as Spring Break time arrives and the vacation season begins. As you may recall, recent changes in passport regulations have resulted in a significant volume of applications, and this has caused backlogs in the application process.

Here in Congresswoman Boyda's office, we have worked to help our constituents track the status of their applications and expedite them when necessary to meet their travel needs.

If you’re traveling abroad soon, the first thing to check is whether you will need a passport. Generally today it’s a good idea to have one if you are leaving the country, but there are a few locations to which you can travel without a passport.

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This Week in Congress - March 3 to March 9, 2008

On Monday, our Topeka district office hosted our second annual open house. We invited the public to come and meet me and my staff. After the open house, Zak Anderson and Mignon Labley from Burlington North Santa Fe as well as Dana Peterson from the Kansas Wheat Growers Association stopped by the Topeka office for a meeting.

Tuesday began bright and early with my monthly appearance on The Jim Cates Show. After the program, I drove up to Leavenworth, where I visited the Leavenworth VA Medical Center and then spoke at the Equal Opportunity Women’s History Luncheon at the Frontier Conference Center.

Wednesday was packed to the brim with constituent meetings. First, I met with Dr. David Procter and Erika Imbody of the Civics and Civility Institute at Kansas State University to discuss their upcoming public forums, one of which will be about health care. Next was a meeting with the Kansas State Council for Agricultural Research and Teaching Extension Program, including Fred Cholick, Dean and Director of CARET (Council for Agricultural Research Extension & Teaching); Steven Graham, Assistant to the Dean and Director; Steve Irsik, K-State CARET Delegate from Ingalls; Connie Pelton Keys, K State CARET Delegate from Weir; Sharolyn Jackson, Extension Specialist, Family & Consumer Sciences, Northeast Kansas; and Larry Jackson, Interim Coordinator, Information and Educational Technology. Then, the Kansas Natural Resources Sub-cabinet provided a briefing on resource issues. Among the attendees were Secretary Mike Hayden, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks; Director Tracy Streeter, Kansas Water Office; Chief Engineer David Barfield, Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources; Assistant Director Earl Lewis, Kansas Water Office; and Federal Congressional Liaison Kim Christiansen. Following the natural resources meeting, I met with members of the Kansas Credit Union Association to discuss how credit unions serve their communities, and then with Ed McKechnie of WATCO Companies to discuss the Short Line Railroad Tax Extension, H.R. 1584. I then met with Chairman Steve Cadue, Vice-Chair Cheryl Simon, Treasurer Bobbi Darnell, and Verna Simmons of the Kickapoo Tribe to discuss tribal concerns, and then with Doug Byers, Assistant Director of the National Science Foundation EPSCoR Program, and Dr. Kristi Bowman-James to discuss their national partnership promoting Kansas science and research infrastructure. Next was a meeting with representatives of the Kansas Small Business Development Center, Wally Kearn and Stan Compton, to discuss the Small Business Development Center program. Also on Wednesday, the U.S. House Armed Services Committee met for a hearing on the national defense authorization budget request for the U.S. Central Command and Special Operations Command.

On Thursday, I met with a delegation from the Kansas Association of Community Action Programs, including Tawny Stottlemire, Tracy Ball, Steven J. Lohr, Linda Broyles, Jamey Whitney, Jim Baze, and David Shrum, to discuss poverty-related issues. Also visiting the D.C. office was a delegation from City of Topeka to discuss the city's 2009 appropriations requests; among the attendees were Mayor Bill Bunten, Council Member Richard Harmon, Shawnee County Commission Chair Shelly Buhler, and City Manager Norton Bonaparte, as well as Carl Koupal, James Davis, and Doug Kinsinger of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce. Also visiting were Steve Westfall, Rear Admiral Grant Hollett, John Bennett, and Ron Nowlin of EaglePicher, Inc, to discuss 2009 appropriations requests. On Thursday evening, I flew home to Kansas for the weekend.

Friday began with the Kansas Prayer Breakfast here in Topeka at the Ramada Inn. Carey Casey of the National Center for Fathering served as the keynote speaker. After the breakfast, I drove to Fort Riley to speak at the Soldier Family Assistance Center, and then I returned to Topeka for a meeting with the Topeka Chamber of Commerce.

On Saturday, my office hosted a tax workshop at the Leavenworth Public Library, where we helped area residents file their income taxes and offered information about the recently enacted economic stimulus package. Then, I drove on to Kansas City to cheer on the schools participating in the FIRST Robotics Competition at Hale Arena.