Oregon congressional delegation urges State Department to address passport backlog for Oregonians

WASHINGTON (KTVZ) – Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) joined Reps. Val Hoyle (OR-04), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), and Cliff Bentz (OR-02) as well as Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) on Thursday in urging the U.S. Department of State to continue working to address the passport backlog for Oregonians by driving down wait times, increasing communication with Oregonian applicants, and informing Congress of any additional resources the department needs.

Over the last year, passport requests have increased by 30 to 40 percent, with routine processing times increasing to 10 to 13 weeks and expedited processing times increasing to seven to nine weeks. The Oregon delegation sent a joint letter to Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Rena Bitter, urging immediate action to alleviate the delays.

“Oregonians are ready and excited to contribute to our travel economy following a long pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but long passport renewal wait times have kept them from taking off. I appreciate our federal employees diligently working to help Oregonians reach their destinations, but more accountability is needed to ensure all systems are being run efficiently. Oregonians must be able to navigate the passport renewal process on a reasonable timeline,” Chavez-DeRemer said.

“I appreciate the steps the State Department has taken to help address the backlog. However, without an Oregon-based passport agency, many of my constituents must travel hours across state lines to the nearest passport agency in order to help expedite their applications. We need increased communication and transparency for Oregonians. It’s one reason, my office will be holding a PSA event today to help answer questions and ensure people know how to avoid the most common application mistakes that can lead to additional delays in processing,” said Hoyle. 

“I’ve been hearing from Oregonians from all walks of life that they are waiting months for a routine passport renewal, and even then, they are often faced with application corrections that could have been easily prevented with a more transparent process,” Wyden said. “In the midst of summer travel, more needs to be done to increase transparency, clear the backlog and drive down wait times in Oregon and nationwide.”

“A major concern I’ve heard during my town halls this year is the complications caused by lengthy, unprecedented passport delays,” Merkley said. “With a drastic uptick in international travel, it’s urgent that Congress, the State Department, and other agencies work together to do all they can to help ease the logjams related to passports for Oregonians and all Americans needing to travel internationally.” 

“Passport processing delays deter travel and cause real frustration for our constituents. The State Department has taken steps to remedy this situation, but the ongoing delays clearly necessitate more action,” Blumenauer said. “The State Department and Congress must be partners as we work to restore this basic service for Oregonians and Americans across the country.”

“My dedicated staff are working hard to assist as many people seeking passports as possible, but unusually long delays make it difficult to help Oregonians get where they need to go in time,” Bonamici said. “I’m grateful for the work State Department employees are doing to process application requests, but we need more information about the current backlog and transparency about what Oregonians can expect. We stand ready to work with the State Department to reduce wait times.” 

“Today’s extensive, unprecedented backlog of U.S. passport requests threatens to upend travel plans for hundreds of thousands of Oregonians,” Salinas said. “My staff has been working diligently to help constituents in need of support, but the State Department can and must do more to address this growing challenge. Restoring efficiency and transparency must be a top priority.”

Full text of the letter can be found HERE.

Oregonians who are applying or renewing a passport prior to international travel should keep the following in mind:

• Demand for post-pandemic travel has resulted in a surge of passport applications, leading to a passport application backlog.
• Passport applications should be submitted BEFORE an international trip is booked.
• Applicants should visit the U.S. State Department’s website to apply for a passport application at: travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/how-apply.html.
• Applicants should ensure their application is accurate and make sure paperwork and forms are complete.
• Routine processing time for passport applications right now is 10 to 13 weeks.
• Expedited processing time for passport applications is currently seven to nine weeks.
• Applicants can check the status of their passport at: passportstatus.state.gov.