Washington ? It has been just two weeks since Rep. Nancy Boyda was sworn in as Kansas’ newest member of Congress, but she already is sponsoring one of the Democrats’ most high-profile bills.

Boyda introduced a measure in the House late Tuesday that would strip federal pensions from lawmakers convicted of crimes such as bribery, perjury and fraud. The Senate approved similar legislation last week.

While freshmen lawmakers usually don’t get to take the lead in sponsoring major legislation, the Democratic leadership has made every effort to help Boyda raise her profile and impress her constituents back home.

“During my campaign, the main theme was that big money controls Congress and that we’ve got to break the tie between money and legislation,” Boyda said Wednesday. “So I was thrilled when they wanted to move (the bill) along quickly and they were going to let me sponsor it.”

Boyda is among a dozen or so freshman lawmakers taking advantage of plum committee assignments, fundraising tips and other help from party leaders as they aim to hold on to their new seats.

The pension measure resonates with voters who saw former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, R-Calif., sentenced to prison for bribery and can’t believe he can still draw his congressional pension.

“This issue is on a par with the middle-of-the-night pay grabs, the overly generous retirement packages for law-abiding members of Congress and even the House bank scandal,” said Pete Sepp, spokesman for the National Taxpayers Union, an Alexandria, Va.-based group that seeks limited government and low taxes.

About 20 former federal lawmakers convicted of serious crimes still qualify for pensions, according to NTU data.

Current law denies pensions to members of Congress only in cases of treason and certain espionage offenses. Boyda’s bill would add crimes such as bribery of public officials and conspiracy to violate restrictions on conduct after members leave Congress.

The House is expected to vote on Boyda’s bill Friday.