Providing oversight of the federal government is a critical part of my job as a United States Senator. From pushing back on illegal new mandates to fighting wasteful spending, there is a lot of important work to do. And while the Biden administration is failing on many policy matters, it’s also failing its responsibility to provide basic constituent services like passports in a reasonable time – and Americans are paying the price.
While the State Department’s website states passport processing is currently taking 10-13 weeks for routine applications and 7-9 weeks for expedited processing, many Nebraskans have contacted my office experiencing significantly longer delays. One Nebraskan contacted my office fearful that she would be unable to attend a family wedding. She had also submitted her paperwork months in advance. In her case, my office was able to help and secured her passport just 17 hours before her flight. Nevertheless, days that should have been spent preparing to celebrate a family member were spent worrying about the federal bureaucracy’s failings and incompetence.
Another constituent contacted my office in tears, fearful she would be unable to attend a non-refundable and longplanned family trip. She had done everything right, submitting her paperwork months in advance. Despite multiple attempts by my staff to help, the Biden State Department failed her, forcing her to miss the family trip and costing her hundreds of dollars. These stressful situations should have never happened. No Nebraskan should have to miss a family trip or cancel their honeymoon or miss a family wedding or funeral because the federal bureaucracy can’t do its job in a timely manner.This is horrible customer service from the Biden administration.We need to get this historic backlog under control and restore competence to this process – and that’s exactly what I’m working on.
