POL POSITION:Help is available for passport applicants
During the last several weeks, our office has been flooded with calls from constituents needing help with passport applications. We are happy to help expedite these applications, and it is important for the public to know that this service is available through our office at no cost. While the Department of State may charge a fee to expedite a passport, my office can assist in assuring that the department acts promptly and appropriately.
In 2004, in an effort to improve our homeland security, Congress passed the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) as part of the Intelligence Reform and Prevention Act. Under this new law, all U.S. citizens traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region and Bermuda would be required to have valid U.S. passports. The requirements for air travel took effect on Jan. 23, while the provisions for land and sea ports of entry will be implemented in January of 2008.
Unfortunately, even with almost three-years notice, the Department of State did not adequately prepare for the onslaught of passport applications this change in the law generated. Thousands of travelers have been faced with the possibility of missing long-planned and expensive trips overseas. It seems that no matter how far ahead people planned their trips, or how early they ordered their passports, tens of thousands were caught in the backlog of passport processing.
After subjecting travelers to months of anxiety, the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security recently relaxed Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative until Sept. 30 by allowing U.S. citizens with pending passport applications to travel to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda with the use of a government-issued photo ID (i.e. driver’s license), proof of U.S. citizenship (i.e. birth certificate) and proof of the pending U.S. passport application, which can be obtained by visiting https://travel.state.gov.
However, this change alone will not resolve the problem of delayed passports, since thousands of people traveling to Europe, Asia and South America are trapped in the backlog. Since the new regulations took effect in January of this year, my office has provided a free service by helping more than 300 constituents obtain their passports. While we cannot guarantee that no one will miss a flight due to a passport delay, so far we have a perfect record.
That is a point I want to make very clear — it is not necessary to pay a private company to expedite your passport. It has come to my attention that some businesses are taking advantage of worried travelers and are making promises — and charging processing fees — to ensure the timely delivery of your passport.
If you will be traveling within 10 days and you have not received your passport, please call my office for assistance at (626) 304-2727. While it may be necessary for you to pay the expedited fee to the Department of State for passport processing, it is certainly not necessary to pay a private company a fee to handle your passport. My staff is available to assist the residents of the 29th Congressional District, without fee, and will be happy to help you get your passport in time for your trip.