Here are today’s headlines from the Kansas congressional delegation:Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R)!(Congressional Quarterly, via NYT) Hensarling to Be Nominated to Head RSC: Rep. Jeb Hensarling will be nominated to head the Republican Study Committee next year, according to a letter sent Tuesday by eight of the most active RSC members. Their endorsement of the second-term Texas Republican sets up a potentially nasty fight over the direction of the House’s most conservative faction. The four founders of the RSC – John T. Doolittle of California, Ernest Istook of Oklahoma, Dan Burton of Indiana and Sam Johnson of Texas – are expected to nominate their own candidate, appropriator Todd Tiahrt of Kansas, for the post. … Some conservative aides have expressed concern about promoting Tiahrt, an appropriator to head a group that often clashes with the Appropriations Committee on spending issues. Others worry that Tiahrt would give Republican leaders too much sway over the RSC. In an interview last week, Tiahrt suggested that he has at least tacit backing from Republican leaders. “I have spoken with leadership about the job. They’re supportive,” he said. He argued that he has advanced conservative principles as a member of the Appropriations Committee. “There are some who think that appropriators are the enemy and everyone’s entitled to their view,” he said. “Most of them haven’t been around long enough to see some of my battles.”Sen. Sam Brownback (R) !(AllAfrica.com) Africa Society Pays Tribute To Senator Samuel D. Brownback, Congresswoman Barbara Lee For Africa Initiatives At Annual Visionaries Luncheon: Senator Samuel D. Brownback (R-KS) and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) will be honored at The Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa’s Annual Visionaries Awards Luncheon for their leadership on Africa-related initiatives in the U.S. Congress. … Senator Sam Brownback’s voice has been one of the strongest in the Senate in the fight to end the genocide that has been raging in Darfur. He recently joined Senator Richard Durbin in calling on state governors to divest their state’s pension funds from companies who conduct business with the Sudanese government. Brownback was one of the authors of the Senate resolution declaring the atrocities in Darfur genocide, fought for support from NATO troops to African Union peacekeeping troops in Darfur, and sponsored the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, which passed in October 2006(AP) Pastor invites Obama to forum on AIDS despite abortion stance: Famed pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren on Wednesday defended his invitation to Sen. Barack Obama to speak at his church despite objections from some evangelicals who oppose the Democrat’s support for abortion rights. … Obama, who is mulling a run for president, plans to take an HIV test during his appearance Friday and encourage others to do the same. The Illinois Democrat will be joined by a potential 2008 White House rival – Republican Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas – and is urging unity to fight AIDS despite differences on other issues. Conservative evangelical Rob Schenck, president of the National Clergy Council, e-mailed reporters Tuesday to protest the visit because of Obama’s support of legal abortion. Sen. Pat Roberts (R)!(KTVZ.com) Smith urges more funding for kids’ health: To ensure the continuation of the successful State Children’s Health Insurance Program, Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) has urged President Bush to increase funding to the program in his Fiscal Year 2008 budget. Since the program’s inception in 1997, SCHIP has contributed to a one-third decline in the uninsured rate of low-income children. Today, over six million children benefit from the program. … According to Senator Smith, a lack of adequate funding will result in the loss of many current SCHIP beneficiaries’ health care coverage and a large and growing number of states will face substantial federal funding shortfalls in their SCHIP programs over the next few years. The letter was co-signed by Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Susan Collins (R-ME), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Christopher S. Bond (R-MO), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Arlen Specter (R-PA), Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and John Warner (R-VA).