[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17074]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 PROVIDING FOR EXTENSIONS OF CERTAIN AUTHORITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 
                                 STATE

  Mr. BERMAN. 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.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6456

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR REEMPLOYMENT OF FOREIGN 
                   SERVICE ANNUITANTS.

       Section 824(g)(2) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 
     U.S.C. 4064(g)(2)) is amended by striking ``2008'' each place 
     it appears and inserting ``2009''.

     SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF UNITED STATES TERRITORIES AS ELIGIBLE 
                   FOR REST AND RECUPERATION TRAVEL FOR MEMBERS OF 
                   THE FOREIGN SERVICE.

       The Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended--
       (1) in section 901(6)(B) (22 U.S.C. 4081(6)(B)), by 
     inserting after ``United States'' the following: ``or its 
     territories, including American Samoa, the Commonwealth of 
     Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana 
     Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands''; and
       (2) in section 903(b) (22 U.S.C. 4083(b)), by striking ``, 
     its territories and possessions, or the Commonwealth of 
     Puerto Rico'' and inserting ``or its territories, including 
     American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the 
     Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United 
     States Virgin Islands''.

     SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY TO PAY SUBSISTENCE OF SPECIAL 
                   AGENTS ON PROTECTIVE DETAILS.

       Section 32 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 
     1956 (22 U.S.C. 2704) is amended, in the first sentence, by 
     striking ``on authorized protective missions, and'' and 
     inserting ``on authorized protective missions, whether at or 
     away from their duty stations, and''.

     SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR RADIO FREE ASIA.

       Section 309(c)(2) of the United States International 
     Broadcasting Act of 1994 (22 U.S.C. 6208(c)(2)) is amended by 
     striking ``2009'' and inserting ``2010''.

     SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF PERSONNEL AUTHORITIES FOR INTERNATIONAL 
                   BROADCASTING ACTIVITIES.

       Section 504(c) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, 
     Fiscal Year 2003 (Public Law 107-228; 22 U.S.C. 6206 note) is 
     amended by striking ``2008'' and inserting ``2009''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Berman) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BERMAN. 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.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BERMAN. 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.
  Mr. CHABOT. 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.
  Mr. BERMAN. Madam Speaker, has the gentleman yielded back his time?
  Mr. CHABOT. If the gentleman has no further speakers, we have no 
further speakers either, and we will yield back.
  Mr. BERMAN. I yield back.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Berman) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 6456, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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