Here are today’s headlines from the Kansas congressional delegation:Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R) !(Reuters) Mayors press Congress over gun trace law: More than 200 U.S. mayors urged Congress on Tuesday to stop “pandering” to the gun lobby and repeal an amendment that they say makes it harder for police to trace illegal firearms carried between states. … The Mayors Against Illegal Guns group, which says it has more than 225 mayors representing 50 million constituents, wants Congress to strike down the Tiahrt Amendment, a measure attached to a law enforcement funding bill every year since 2003. The amendment, which imposes confidentiality limits on firearms trace data compiled by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, is named for Rep. Todd Tiahrt, the Kansas Republican who first sponsored it. Tiahrt had no immediate comment on the drive against it, a spokesman said.Rep. Nancy Boyda (D) !(LJWorld) Group decries Boyda’s earmark for prison museum: LANSING – From the Teapot Museum in North Carolina to the Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska, one grass-roots organization is out to stop what it says is wasteful taxpayer spending on “questionable” projects. And now, they’ve taken on the proposed Kansas Regional Prisons Museum in Lansing. On Tuesday, Ed Frank, vice president of public affairs for Americans for Prosperity, said in the last couple years he’s watched federal spending spiral out of control, which he said is due in large part to Congress neglecting to properly prioritize its spending habits. The group decided to visit the site of the Prisons Museum after hearing that U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Kan., included it on her list of 64 appropriations requests waiting congressional approval. If the earmark were accepted, the museum would receive $1.18 million in federal funding. “These (earmarks) have really caused federal spending to grow a lot more than we can afford,” Frank said.(49abcnews.com) Better late than never for Pearl Harbor survivor’s medals: t’s been long overdue, but a veteran of the attack on Pearl Harbor got some recognition Tuesday. Congresswoman Nancy Boyda presented the survivors of Earl John Roney with seven medals. It all started when Roney’s son contacted Boyda’s office to request a copy of his father’s military records. In doing so, Boyda’s staff discovered the family’s eligibility to receive the seven medals.(Nancy Boyda commentary in KC Star) Taxation, regulation burden America’s small business: In Congress, I have fought to reverse this trend. I co-sponsored H.R. 976, the Small Business Tax Relief Act, which was largely incorporated into a law signed by President Bush in late May. The final legislation included $4.84 billion in small business tax relief – a truly significant investment in our national economy that cannot be overstated and should not be overlooked.Rep. Jerry Moran (R) !(LJWorld) Congressman criticizes Iraq war during city visit: While in Lawrence on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., voiced concern about progress of the Iraqi government, assessed in a White House report to be delivered to Congress this week. “It appears that that report is going to show that they are functioning poorly,” Moran said. “And it just may be that our U.S. military has done everything that it can do to try to give the Iraqis an opportunity, and it’s now up to the Iraqis, and they’re not pulling the load.” But the six-term congressman from Hays said that overall war support from Congress will be determined in September when U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus, commander of Multi-National Forces in Iraq, reports on the progress of President Bush’s troop-surge strategy. “Should that report be at all pessimistic, I think you will see many members of Congress begin to look for a way to extricate ourselves from Iraq,” he said.Biodefense(LJWorld.com) Manhattan a finalist for biodefense facility: Manhattan is one of five finalists for the new National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility, a Kansas officials announced Wednesday morning. Manhattan and Leavenworth had been among the final 16 sites; Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Kan., and U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan. announced that Manhattan had survived the cutdown.