Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 8234. As the world has reopened following the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for passports last year skyrocketed, leading to significant delays. Under Secretary of State Antony Blinken's leadership and the tireless efforts of consular officials, the State Department successfully tackled this backlog and restored processing times to prepandemic levels. Moreover, this administration has partnered closely with Congress to advance modernization of the Department's consular processing to be better prepared to handle future surges in demand. The provisions in H.R. 8234 aim to further strengthen our passport processing infrastructure, particularly to help ensure that all Americans, especially those in rural or remote areas, have reasonably convenient access to passport services. This includes permissive authorities for the Department of State to better enable applicants to utilize private couriers, access passport acceptance agents, and remember to renew their passports before expiry. These provisions can help those in underserved communities who may not have a passport acceptance facility nearby. There is no single solution to the challenges in providing passport and visa services at a sustained and high level, and the Department's efforts must be driven not by the preferences of courier companies or potential new acceptance agents but by the Americans who need passports.…”