'Severe' NY Passport Backlog: Garbarino Calls For Action

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R — NY) is calling for action regarding the "severe" backlog in passport services at the New York Passport Agency, a spokeswoman said.

Garbarino was joined by fellow U.S. Republican representatives of NY Nick LaLota, Anthony D'Esposito, Nicole Malliotakis, Mike Lawler, and Marc Molinaro after he wrote their offices have fielded "hundreds of calls a day" from constituents upset with the lack of response to their passport-related requests.

"Though we lack acknowledgment from agencies outside our region, we have seen a positive outcome on passport applications processed in other regions," the letter reads. "Our offices have been forced to make passport appointments for constituents at said agencies, ranging from Buffalo to San Diego, for passport applications already outside of processing times. Constituents should not have to add an additional expense and travel just to obtain their passport."

The letter was sent to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter.

The letter urges the mitigation of delays and called for answers from the department, including on how many employees the New York Passport Agency has dedicated to handling passport requests and how the number compares to July 2022; how the department plans to address the reported staffing shortages; and what steps the department has taken to address the backlog in requests.

The letter says New Yorkers are "excited to make up for lost time" and travel abroad following the travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

"These completely unacceptable delays have caused our constituents to lose out on the cost of airline fees and vacations, even after some constituents paid an extra fee to expedite their application," the representatives wrote.

The representatives said their offices "lost contact" with the New York Passport Agency over the past three weeks. The "whirlwind of chaos and confusion" forced constituents to cancel travel plans and lose thousands of dollars in nonrefundable costs, the politicians said. The representatives were able to reconnect with passport agency officials but are still dealing with a backlog.

New Yorkers are also facing expedited processing request expenses even though they initially applied in a timely manner, the representatives wrote. The members of Congress said their offices were told the agency has four vacant positions with "no apparent strategy" to mitigate the shortage.

"Without the proper staffing in place, our constituents who placed requests within the established timeline stand to miss weddings, family vacations, business trips, and more," the letter reads.

The National Passport Information Center did not respond to Patch's request for comment.

The politicians requested a response from the department by July 27 that answers the following three questions:

1. How many employees does the New York Passport Agency have dedicated to handling passport requests and how does this number compare to July of 2022?

2. How does the Department plan to address the reported staffing shortages experienced by the New York Passport Agency?

3. What steps, if any, has the department taken to address the backlog in requests at the New York Passport Agency and accelerate the approvals of outstanding requests beyond the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ stated timeline?