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| House Passes Bill to Reduce Passport Delays |
July 17, 2007 |
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Grants State Department Authority for Procedural Changes
Washington, DC – Congresswoman Heather Wilson today welcomed House passage late Monday of the Passport Backlog Reduction Act of 2007 (S.966) to help reduce waiting times for passport applications.
The bill, already passed by the Senate, will be sent to the President to be signed into law. It allows the State Department to waive restrictions from the Foreign Service Act of 1980, allowing the re-employment of former Foreign Service Officers without pension losses.
“If a citizen is required to have a passport, it seems reasonable to expect their government to be able to deliver one,” Wilson said.
Wilson was on the forefront of this issue, helping more than 500 New Mexicans in May and June who were affected by passport delays. Her office continues to help New Mexicans who are hoping to travel soon.
The House has already voted to delay the start of a new passcard program for land crossings from Mexico and Canada planned for January 2008, delaying it until June of 2009 to ensure that it does not cause even more problems for American travelers.
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