(Missourinet) – The long wait continues for many Missourians who have applied for U.S. passports.
U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, said there has been a 371 percent increase in the number of requests for help his office has received from Missouri residents needing their passports.
“They come to me and say, ‘Listen, I applied for my passport months ago,'” he told Missourinet. “Now, their trip, whether it’s a mission trip they’re going on – we often hear that – or sometimes it’s doctors going overseas to do medical work for free, is right around the corner, and they still haven’t received or heard anything about their passport.”
Hawley said his office has been helping expedite passport applications for Missouri residents. He is also supporting a bill sponsored by U.S. Senator James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, designed to speed up the process of getting a U.S. passport.
Other members of Missouri’s congressional delegation are also concerned. Fifth District U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Missouri, along with fellow Democrat and Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids, sent a letter to the U.S. State Department asking for an explanation regarding the backlog and numerous delays Americans are experiencing with passport applications.
(Photo by Rocio Ramirez on Unsplash)
