Plane Talk - No seat number this time. I'm on Military Air coming back from Afghanistan and Pakistan. 


Dear Friend,

Afghanistan. I'm sure you have a picture in your mind when you think of Afghanistan. I know I did.

I knew it was a poor country, but I still wasn't prepared for the primitive nature of this poverty: open sewers along the streets, 70 percent illiteracy, a tribal society trying to integrate with a struggling government, a narco state. Their neighbors (Iran, Pakistan, Russia and the "Stans") have natural resources. Afghanistan has few, very few natural resources.

There are bright spots: schools are being built, girls are being educated, forced marriages are now illegal, and the struggling government is slowly getting stronger.

Through all this, Afghanis are optimistic people. More importantly, they are fighters. For most of them, fighting is all they've ever known.

We flew over the mountainous region where Osama bin Laden planned the horrendous 9/11 attack on our country. Most likely he is still there…now, probably, on the Pakistani side of the border.

It's still so hard to understand why we turned our focus from Afghanistan to Iraq. Seven years ago, our determined, unified nation was ready to take on the Taliban, Al Qaeda, Hakani, the drug lords, the foreign fighters, and the whole narco state situation. At one time, it seemed that every official statement about Afghanistan started with the words "the Taliban are on the run." Seven years after 9/11 we can no longer say that.

The United States is finally refocusing our attention on this terrorist and drug haven. After seven years of making this a second rate priority, we must now go back to our allies and convince them that fighting terrorism and drugs in this region is also important to their national security. Yes, the fight will be much more difficult than if we had done this earlier, but it must be addressed now.

I was able to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, U.S. Army General David McKiernan, Commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and U.S. Army Major General Cone, Commanding General of the Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan. I also met with U.S. Ambassadors to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, Pakistani Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, and Lieutenant General Khalid Kidwai, who is Director General of Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division.

These individuals shared one theme: Afghanistan is not Iraq. There is no middle class to rebuild; there are no institutions to rebuild. They are starting from scratch. Our U.S. generals emphasized how slow the process will be.

They pointed out another huge difference: the Sunni Anbar awakening in Iraq sprang up on its own. We didn't do that. But nothing like that is happening yet in Afghanistan, where there are literally thousands of separate tribes.

The very highest ranking officer in our military, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, has told us repeatedly to expect another 9/11 type attack to come from the Afghanistan and Pakistan border.

So we are finally turning toward Afghanistan where the awful tragedy of 9/11 originated.

As we refocus our attention on Afghanistan, we must remember that less than one percent of Americans wear our country's uniform. Think of that. They and their families bear this tremendous burden for the rest of the country.

These men and women have an important job to do and it was an honor to tell them in person how much I appreciate what they do for our country.

Grateful to be an American, 


Nancy Boyda
Member of Congress 


Casework Corner – Preparing for Cold Weather

While we still have a few weeks before cold weather sets in, recent fall-like temperatures are inspiring some people to think about getting their homes ready for winter. We hope the following tips will help keep you safe and warm at home this winter AND save you some hard-earned energy dollars.

Cold Weather Suggestions from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

*Have your chimney or flu inspected annually if you plan to use a fireplace or wood stove for heating. Ask your local fire department to recommend an inspector or find one in the yellow pages of your telephone directory under “chimney cleaning.”

* If you do plan to use a fireplace, wood stove, or kerosene heater, install a smoke detector and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near the area to be heated. Test them monthly, and replace batteries twice yearly.

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Letter of the Week - Nancy on the CALM Act 

Dear Nancy,

As a consumer who does not enjoy being blasted by noise, I urge you to vote for Rep. Anna Eshoo's Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM Act).

When scheduled television programming switches to commercials, viewers can experience a "perceived loudness" that makes them dive for the volume control on their remotes.

Steven from Manhattan, KS.

Dear Steven,

Thank you for taking the time to share your support for H.R. 6209, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act (CALM Act).

Excessively loud television commercials are annoying and drive families away from quality programming. That is why I have chosen to co-sponsor H.R. 6209, CALM Act. This bill, when enacted, will require the Federal Communication Commission to enforce programming to reduce modulation, standardize excessive loudness and require all advertisements to be substantially lower than the programming it accompanies. I believe this bill is a common sense approach to a problem that plagues individuals across the nation and will create a more enjoyable television experience.

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This Week in Congress - September 2 to September 8

Tuesday morning I was on the Hank Booth radio show in Lawrence. We talked about the district work period and concerns I'd heard from constituents throughout the month of August (gas prices... the economy... the cost of feeding their families!!!). 

I also visited Bishop Elementary School in Topeka last week. Kyler Carpenter, local story teller/celebrity, joined me as celebrity guest for the Bishop Summer Reading Program awards ceremony. The principal, Mandy Czechanski and the Remedial Reading teacher, Carol Dowdy distributed awards to students who read at least 10 books during their summer break. 

Then, it was off to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Austria! Please read this week's Plane Talk to learn about my trip.