To provide for extensions of certain authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6456, which provides stopgap extensions of certain important State Department and broadcasting authorities until the Committee on Foreign Affairs can take them up as part of a comprehensive authorization during the 111th Congress.

In response to administration requests, this brief bill does a number of things. It extends for another year the State Department's authority to hire retired Foreign Service officers for difficult-to-staff posts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to address visa and passport processing backlogs.

It also extends authorities for Radio Free Asia, and for emergency broadcasting needs in the International Broadcasting Bureau and the Voice of America. It also makes clear that the State Department may pay the hotel expenses of its special agents on protective details in situations where agents are required to remain with their protectees overnight, even when that duty occurs in the agent's home locale.

Finally, it incorporates the text of H.R. 3658, the House-passed bill introduced by the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno) to allow U.S. Foreign Service officers to take their rest and recuperative travel in U.S. territories. I urge support for this measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

If the gentleman has no further speakers, we have no further speakers either, and we will yield back.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6456) to provide for extensions of certain authorities of the Department of State, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The legislation before the House today extends certain expiring authorities of the Department of State. A couple of examples. The bill continues the Department's ability to hire experienced retired officer to fill positions in Iraq or Afghanistan. This bill extends two broadcasting authorities, Radio Free Asia for an additional year and the authority to hire personal service contractors in the United States for specialized language and other skills, and several other technical provisions involving those authorities.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, has the gentleman yielded back his time?

I yield back.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 6456, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and that any statements relating to this measure be printed in the Record.