Current:Home > BackU.S. passport demand continues to overwhelm State Department as frustrated summer travelers demand answers-InfoLens
U.S. passport demand continues to overwhelm State Department as frustrated summer travelers demand answers
View Date:2024-12-23 11:09:49
Washington — Connie Raynor and Vicki Heller were making their packing lists for the European cruise of a lifetime.
"We booked in 2022, not realizing that our passports were about to expire," Raynor told CBS News of the trip, which included 81 family and friends.
"So that's when the nightmare starts," Heller added.
They say coordinating logistics was easy compared with renewing their passports. They applied for renewal about three months before departure. Then, realizing the documents may not arrive in time, they requested expedited processing. They even offered to fly to an in-person appointment anywhere in the country, but none were available.
They quite literally missed the boat, receiving their passports several days after their ship left.
"This trip was everything to us," Raynor said.
The State Department is continuing to receive a surge of passport applications, about 430,000 per week. With turnaround times now up to 13 weeks, panicked passengers are flocking to passport offices and petitioning members of Congress for help.
"We contacted (our) congressman's office, said 'what can you do for us?'" Raynor said.
The U.S. issued a record 22 million passports in the 2022 fiscal year as Americans prepared to travel more freely again with the COVID-19 pandemic subsiding.
"I don't know who is in charge of passports at the State Department, but I wouldn't trust them to take my lunch order," Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana told CBS News.
In March, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the State Department was "on track to break" that record this year amid "unprecedented demand" for passports.
"I've moved three staff members into working just on just passports. It's overwhelming our office," said Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, who proposed legislation earlier this month that would improve online tracking of passport applications, allow the State Department to hire more staff and limit turnaround time to 12 weeks.
"This is a basic governmental job," Lankford said.
As for Raynor and Heller, they are trying to recoup what they can from the cruise line, and issuing a warning to others.
"Check your travel documents, make sure that everything's in order," Raynor said.
- In:
- Travel
CBS News correspondent
veryGood! (8587)
Related
- USMNT Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal Leg 1 vs. Jamaica: Live stream and TV, rosters
- Husband arrested after wife's body parts found in 3 suitcases
- Miko Air Purifiers: Why People Everywhere Are Shopping For This Home Essential
- Ukraine says Russia hits key grain export route with drones in attack on global food security
- Police identify 7-year-old child killed in North Carolina weekend shooting
- Doritos recall: Frito-Lay recalls Nacho Cheese chips sold in Pennsylvania for allergy concerns
- Exclusive: First look at 2024 PGA Tour schedule; 4 designated events to keep 36-hole cut
- Singapore executes third prisoner in 2 weeks for drug trafficking
- Black, red or dead: How Omaha became a hub for black squirrel scholarship
- Summer School 4: Marketing and the Ultimate Hose Nozzle
Ranking
- Caitlin Clark shanks tee shot, nearly hits fans at LPGA's The Annika pro-am
- $4M settlement reached with family of man who died in bed bug-infested jail cell
- How to check if a QR code is safe: With QR code scams popping up, what to look out for
- Mother gets 14 years in death of newborn found floating off Florida coast in 2018
- Full House's John Stamos Shares Message to Costar Dave Coulier Amid Cancer Battle
- US Rep. Dan Bishop announces a run for North Carolina attorney general
- A 13 year old boy is charged with murder in the shooting of an Albuquerque woman
- Lizzo’s Former Creative Director and Documentary Filmmaker Speak Out Against Singer
Recommendation
-
In an AP interview, the next Los Angeles DA says he’ll go after low-level nonviolent crimes
-
Police officer in South Carolina killed by Amtrak train while rescuing someone who called 911
-
Free People Flash Sale: Save 66% On Dresses, Jumpsuits, Pants, and More
-
Lizzo says she’s ‘not the villain’ after her former dancers claim sex harassment
-
Charles Hanover: A Summary of the UK Stock Market in 2023
-
Fitch downgraded U.S. debt, and the stock market slid. Here's what it means.
-
'Potentially hazardous', 600-foot asteroid seen by scanner poses no immediate risk to Earth, scientists say
-
Outcast no more: Abandoned pup finds forever home with New Hampshire police officer