Boyda takes oath of office / LJWorld.com

Archive for Thursday, January 4, 2007

January 4, 2007

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Topeka, took the oath of office on the House floor with the other 434 House members this afternoon minutes after Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., formally became the first woman Speaker of the House in the history of the United States.

Boyda sat with her granddaughter, Paige, 11, through the more than two-hour ceremony that mostly consisted of recording votes for Pelosi against Republican nominee and now House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Boyda stayed on the floor and visited with representatives shortly after Pelosi was elected while most had left the chamber. She will have a ceremonial swearing in ceremony before friends and family members later this afternoon.

Representatives Jerry Moran, R-Hays, Dennis Moore, D-Lenexa, and Todd Tiahrt, R-Wichita, also took the oath of office during the afternoon session. Boyda's district includes western Lawrence, and Moore's includes eastern Lawrence.

Boyda defeated U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun, R-Lawrence, in an upset after Ryun had defeated her easily in 2004.

Boyda is co-sponsoring a bill that Democratic leadership has introduced. The bill will ban lawmakers from accepting trips, gifts and meals from lobbyists.

"Big Money and the billion-dollar lobbying industry have controlled Congress for too long. This legislation is a major first step toward restoring Congress' independence," Boyda said in a new release her office issued this afternoon.

Her office in the Longworth House Office Building has been open all day. Much of her family made the trip to Washington, including her husband, Steve, and several friends.

Along with Moore, U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., also stopped by this morning and congratulated Boyda on winning a seat on the House Armed Services Committee.

"When you have a new member of Congress, you have a responsibility to come over and pay your respect to that person and to offer to work with the new member," Roberts said.

Former Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, a Kansan who served 18 years as a Democrat in the House, also dropped by Boyda's reception.