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 Departments authority to hire retired Foreign Service officers for difficulttostaff 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 agents home locale.