Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act

Mr. Speaker, I would like to include in the Record a letter which my lead Democratic cosponsor, Mr. Costa, and I received from the U.S. Travel Association expressing the support of the travel industry for the passage of the Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act:

March 18, 2024.

Hon. Darrell Issa,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Jim Costa,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representatives Issa and Costa: On behalf of the U.S.

Travel Association (U.S. Travel), which represents all

segments of America's travel industry, I am writing to

express our strong support for H.R. 6610, the Passport System

Reform and Backlog Prevention Act, which is a bipartisan

measure that calls for the modernization of the State

Department's passport processing capabilities. H.R. 6610

provides a much-needed framework for meeting the Department's

commitment to improve efficiency, security, and customer

experience within the passport application process.

As you know, America's travel industry plays a vital role

in our Nation's economy, contributing significantly to

revenue generation and job creation across all 50 states and

territories. U.S. Travel's mission is to increase travel to

and within the United States, and H.R. 6610 aligns with that

mission. As the travel sector continues to recover from the

pandemic, there is an urgent need to modernize that travel

experience, improve travel IT infrastructure, and position

the Department to meet increased demand for passports. In

2022 and 2023, the Department received a record-breaking

number of passport applications driven by the surge in U.S.

traveler demand for international trips, thereby causing a

massive and persistent backlog in average processing times.

While there has been modest improvement in passport

processing times since last summer, more needs to be done to

bring about sustained progress. Significant improvements in

both passport and visa processing times can be readily

achieved through the long-overdue modernization of the Bureau

of Consular Affairs' outdated IT systems. The legacy systems

relied upon by Consular Affairs have significantly hindered

the agency's ability to keep pace with demand and disrupted

the travel experiences of millions of Americans each year.

Accordingly, the modernization of IT infrastructure should be

treated as a critical priority for delivering streamlined

customer experience for passport and visa applicants, while

ensuring the accuracy and security of those functions.

This modernization initiative also aligns with broader

efforts to promote international travel and strengthen

diplomatic relations. As the world becomes increasingly

interconnected, it is essential for the United States to

maintain a robust and efficient passport system that

facilitates the movement of people and fosters a travel

sector that drives economic growth and job creation.

The U.S. Travel Association commends your bipartisan

leadership in introducing H.R. 6610 and looks forward to

working alongside you to advocate for its passage.

Sincerely,

Tori Emerson Barnes,

Executive Vice President,

Public Affairs and Policy.

Mr. Speaker, I will try not to take more time than is necessary for a bipartisan bill that has broad support, but I do rise today in support of H.R. 6610, the Passport System Reform and Backlog Prevention Act.

I became the author of this bill not in the usual way as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, but actually as a man who has three constituent service personnel who spend a great deal of their time dealing with the fact that when a backlog becomes pervasive, what ends up happening is every passport renewal becomes an emergency, and it becomes an expedited payment. It becomes, in short, a problem that should not have happened.

We certainly understand that during COVID there were a number of problems. One of them was the State Department had never prepared for being able to, in any remote way, process passports. So during that time, the backlog became understandably immense.

Be that as it may, in the several years since COVID has passed, the backlog has continued, and it has never reached an acceptable point for the American people.

Even today, Mr. Speaker, when you surrender a passport for renewal, you have no idea whether it will be weeks or even months before you get one. Most people are advised to pay the expedited fee. In fact, the expedited fee seldom gives them the speed that was intended.

We have talked to several countries, if you will, not necessarily our peers, but countries that have the same challenges we have. Britain, Japan, and Australia routinely reauthorize within a matter of days while we take a 5- to 8-week turnaround.

That is unacceptable. We are the country that effectively created the computer, created automation, and created the ability for something as mundane as adding a new picture to a previously issued passport. We should and could beat this.

The modernization is the first since the days of the early modem, the item that made sound and certainly could transport only a small amount of information.

Congressional intervention is needed. The State Department understands that, and for that reason, we have five basic principles in this, the most important of which is that we ask for private-sector techniques to be used and, in fact, for the State Department to work with the private sector that is more than capable of creating a faster system. In fact, some American companies are processing passports for other countries.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6610.

As we all recall, the State Department experienced an unprecedented level of demand for passports after a global slowdown in travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of our constituents were frustrated by the significant processing wait times they faced in securing their passports.

As this bill moved through the Foreign Affairs Committee, we were pleased to learn that the State Department had achieved prepandemic passport processing times again. Nonetheless, the work we must undertake going forward is to ensure that the Bureau of Consular Affairs and other relevant department entities have the tools, analysis, and resources that they need to sustain ups and downs in consular demand. The State Department is already working to modernize and streamline its passport processing, and this legislation supports those efforts.

This bill, as amended by the Foreign Affairs Committee, will further modernize passport processing through a range of important mechanisms. We must not saddle the department with unfunded mandates or inefficient solutions.

Congress must offer guidance and support to ensure that the State Department can get the job of modernization done. Americans deserve the best practices and smartest technologies to inform the department's provision of consular services.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to partner with my colleagues in Congress, at the State Department, and beyond to advance this objective.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, the unprecedented demand for passports postpandemic created significant backlogs at the Department of State and frustratingly long passport processing times. I am glad that those processing times are now back at prepandemic levels and that the State Department's consular bureau is already modernizing its passport processing.

Be that as it may, it is our responsibility to ensure that the department has what it needs to handle any future shifts in demand. This bill will ensure that American travelers can always count on efficient and reliable passport services by integrating cutting-edge practices and technologies into our consular services.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting H.R. 6610, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6610) to provide for the modernization of the passport issuance process, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa), who is the author of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have worked with Mr. Issa and our Foreign Affairs colleagues to bring this bill before the House today.

H.R. 6610 modernizes processing capabilities at the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs. That means new performance standards for issuing passports, new tools for our caseworkers to track our constituents' passport requests, and new text and email notifications for Americans throughout the whole passport process so they know where their applications stand and how much longer the process is likely to take.

Finally, H.R. 6610 requires the State Department to expand the online passport renewal system so that Americans can apply for and get the travel documents they need as efficiently as possible.

I commend Representative Issa for prodding the State Department to adopt the best commercially available technology solutions. The private sector has much to offer that will reduce wait times and streamline bureaucracy at the State Department.

I also thank Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Meeks, and the bipartisan members of the Foreign Affairs Committee who voted unanimously for this bill during the committee markup.

The American people deserve a more responsive passport process when they seek to exercise their right to travel. For that reason, H.R. 6610 deserves our unanimous support.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.