Here are today’s headlines from the Kansas congressional delegation:Rep. Nancy Boyda (D) !(Hutch News) Kansas leader expresses concern with Walter Reed: On Friday, U.S. House member Nancy Boyda of Kansas’ 2nd District co-sponsored a bill pushing for greater oversight of Walter Reed and other military hospitals. “The moment I learned of the disgrace at Walter Reed, I set appointments to tour the two VA hospitals in my district,” Boyda said of facilities in Topeka and Leavenworth. “I needed to be absolutely certain that Kansas veterans were being treated with the respect they have earned.” Boyda said she found the hospitals clean, safe and modern.Sen. Pat Roberts (R)!(CattleNetwork.com) Roberts Introduces Bill To Improve Security At Agribusinesses: U.S. Senators Pat Roberts and Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) have introduced legislation to better protect the nation from terrorists by improving security at sites where agricultural chemicals are stored. “It is critical that we think outside the box to continue to fight and win the war on terrorism,” Senator Roberts said. “There is evidence that some of the 9/11 hijackers had training in agriculture. It is also no secret that highly hazardous and volatile chemicals are used in agriculture and should be secured from terrorists.” The Agricultural Business Security Tax Credit Act of 2007 provides a tax credit to implement security measures at agricultural facilities where pesticides and fertilizers are stored. Agriculture retailers, distributors, manufacturers, formulators and aerial applicators of agricultural pesticides or fertilizers are eligible for the credit.(KC Star) FDA lab in Lenexa is slated for closing: The Food and Drug Administration’s regional laboratory in Lenexa is one of seven labs the agency plans to close in the next two years, FDA officials confirmed this week. The consolidation proposal, which is being resisted by a bipartisan group of senators and House members, would shift personnel and equipment to six other regional labs that would remain in operation. The closest one to Kansas City would be in Jefferson, Ark. A spokesman for Sen. Pat Roberts said Thursday that the FDA had assured him that an open discussion would be held with Congress before any labs were closed. The laboratories play a key role in detecting sources of contamination in drugs and food, such as the recent salmonella cases linked to two brands of peanut butter.(Topeka Capital-Journal commentary) Anderson: Roberts hustling like it’s ’08: Pat Roberts isn’t up for re-election until November 2008, but you wouldn’t know that by looking at his itinerary over the past few weeks. The Republican senator from Kansas has been careening through his district like he’s chasing a thunderstorm dropping $100 bills. To name a few of his stops, he turned up in the Pittsburg school district to talk about No Child Left Behind, Topeka to honor World War II soldiers and Kansas State University to rub elbows while taking in the KU-KSU basketball game. Today, he’s scheduled to stop by a grade school in Kansas City, Kan., to promote reading. Why the barnstorming tour? At face value, it’s about issues and government. Roberts’ trip included a stop Feb. 5 at the Kansas Legislature, for instance, where he rallied support for the state’s bid to attract a $451 million federal biodefense research facility. But the scope of the trip suggests Roberts has more on his mind than informing the good people of Kansas about the business of Congress. It suggests he’s feeling threatened politically and is doing some pre-emptive image building for his re-election bid.Rep. Jerry Moran (R) !(High Plains Journal) Moran raises awareness about issues surrounding hunger: Congressman Jerry Moran was recently named a co-chairman of the House Hunger Caucus. Members of the caucus work to raise awareness about issues surrounding hunger and the important role of American grown agricultural products. “Hunger is a problem in developing countries, as well as in our own communities,” Moran said. “Whether it is a local family who has fallen on hard times or victims of a hurricane along the Gulf Coast or a famine in Africa, Kansans react with compassion and a genuine desire to see people prosper. Kansas is also in a unique position to aid in the fight against hunger with our locally grown food and grains.”(AP) USDA OKs plan to grow genetically modified rice: The Department of Agriculture has granted preliminary approval for a large-scale plan to grow genetically altered rice in Kansas, prompting some critics to raise safety concerns. Sacramento, Calif.-based Ventria Bioscience wants to grow rice modified to produce human proteins on farmland near Junction City. … U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, a Republican whose district includes Junction City and most of western Kansas, said he had heard no complaints from farmers. The public has until March 30 to submit comments to the USDA. If final approval is granted, Ventria will begin planting rice in April or May, Deeter said.