LINCOLN- If you are attempting to obtain a new passport, that process could last over three months. A Nebraska lawmaker is leading the charge to fix our nation’s historic passport backlog, that’s forced countless people to cancel trips. Senator Pete Ricketts has announced the Passport Act. His plan to crack down on current delays includes the development of a reserve workforce, that can be reassigned to support passport services when demand is high.

The act also calls for an investigation into the quality of customer service, wait times and technology failures. In-person appointments would be expanded at regional passport offices as well, while a chat feature would be added to the National Passport Information Center call line. The passport process has been experiencing an uptick in demand as people begin to travel overseas following the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement sent from Sen. Ricketts he said, “A few years ago, Nebraskans were calling their representatives a couple of times a month with passport delays. For that number to now be in the hundreds is unacceptable.” He went on to say, “American taxpayers deserve better than canceling trips or missing opportunities to visit family because of bureaucracy failures. The State Department needs to address the failing systems in place and solve this problem swiftly.”

For the full article click HERE