Brian Mast: “I thank all of my colleagues for their work and support on H.R. 8234. It is a bill to reduce the passport barriers that…”

“I thank all of my colleagues for their work and support on H.R. 8234. It is a bill to reduce the passport barriers that American travelers face with just a few commonsense solutions to help make it a more seamless process for Americans and a more intuitive process for when their passport might expire. It would help prevent the emergency situations that all of us as Members of Congress face for our constituents to get the passports they need. Getting a passport, for many, is the closest that Americans will get to seeing the work of our State Department, and when they see delays and backlogs, that shakes their confidence in what they believe the State Department and many of our other institutions can do. The backlog is especially troublesome for our citizens who live in rural areas without easy access to the few passport agencies or centers that we have around the country. If the State Department can't get those small things done right now in a timely fashion and competent way, then it is hard to convince the American people that the State Department can handle bigger things-- except a passport is not a small thing for most people, most families, and most individuals. For our constituents, that is a business trip, family vacation, wedding, or, God forbid, funeral. We urgently need reforms to address the passport backlog and prevent any future backlog from occurring. H.R. 8234 enhances U.S.…”