Skip to content

Amid Backlog of Applications, Casey Sends Letter Requesting Reassessment of Congressional Inquiry Procedure

WASHINGTON, DC - In a letter spearheaded by U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), members of the Pennsylvania delegation today urged the Assistant Secretary Maura Harty, the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, to review procedures at passport agencies in hopes of clearing the backlog of passport applications. 

“Widespread delays receiving passports have created huge problems for people in Pennsylvania as well as throughout the country,” Senator Casey said.  “My staff has been working hard to help Pennsylvanians receive their passports, but we have run into even more delays.”

Casey added, “While the State Department has promised Americans that they will resolve this crisis of their own making, my constituents still wait for hours in long lines at passport agencies, often finding themselves paying a fee to expedite services that are not expedited.  Too many have given up days of work to travel long distances to do so, and others have missed departure dates for expensive overseas travel.”

The letter, signed by Congressmen Bill Shuster (R-PA), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Chris Carney (D-PA), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Mike Doyle (D-PA), Jason Altmire (D-PA) and Tim Holden (D-PA), advocates for a reevaluation of guidelines for congressional passport inquiries in order to allow their offices to help their constituents receive passports. 

Last month, Casey co-signed a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice imploring the State Department to take immediate steps to clear up the delays, but the problem has only gotten worse.

District offices for these members have attempted to help move the application process along on behalf of constituents.   However, as the letter sent today states, “Over several weeks, our district offices have noticed a pattern of delay concerning congressional passport inquiries, making it very difficult to help our constituents obtain their passports in a timely manner.”

The letter continues, “It is not uncommon for our staffs to experience delays of several days to a week for a response to their inquiries.  This has presented problems when constituents are within two days or less of departure.”

Full text of the letter is below.

 

Dear Assistant Secretary Harty:

We are writing on behalf of our constituents in the Philadelphia area and across the state of Pennsylvania who have experienced difficulty in dealing with the Philadelphia Passport Agency (PPA).  While we are aware of the delays in issuing passports that Americans across the country have encountered as a result of the State Department’s crippling backlog, we encourage you to address specifically the lack of service and results at the PPA.

Over several weeks, our district offices have noticed a pattern of delay concerning congressional passport inquiries, making it very difficult to help our constituents obtain their passports in a timely manner.  When contacting PPA, it is not uncommon for our staffs to experience delays of several days to a week for a response to their inquiries.  This has presented problems when constituents are within two days or less of departure.  To ensure that the constituent receives his or her passport, as a last resort, our offices have advised constituents to travel to the PPA to obtain their passport in person.  After travel times of up to 5 or 6 hours for many residents of the state, they encounter lengthy lines and inconsistent service.

While we understand the necessity of occasionally updating guidelines, new guidelines for making congressional inquiries seem to be implemented more and more frequently by PPA, which only causes more frustration for all parties involved. 

Our offices have had productive working relationships with the PPA and its staff in the past.  It is not our intention to blame the State Department’s diligent employees in Philadelphia who have worked long hours and through weekends to resolve this crisis as quickly as possible.  Nevertheless, we respectfully request that you conduct a review to determine the extent to which these problems are unique to the PPA and act decisively to correct them through administrative and/or policy changes.

Sincerely,

Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)

Other co-signers of the letter include: Congressmen Bill Shuster, Jim Gerlach, Chris Carney, Chaka Fattah, Joe Pitts, Mike Doyle, Jason Altmire and Tim Holden.