An issue that has been plaguing the US passport obtaining process is certain individuals who have been acting as private brokers for passport appointments. These individuals stockpile appointment times and then sell them to others, often at exorbitant prices. Moreover, it is these very brokers who are often the reason individuals are unable to secure a passport appointment. Following months of pressure on the US State Department to derail these games, Rep. Mike Lawler (NY-17) has secured confirmation from officials that new measures are being implemented to prevent brokers from gaming the system. To achieve this goal, Lawler, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, recruited the assistance of committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-TX). “The backlog of passport cases is causing harm to Americans all across the country. From preventing trips to see loved ones to the international vacation people saved up for, the lack of availability of appointments and the lackluster turnaround times are hurting everyone. And with reports that companies are sweeping up appointments and offering them for sale, it’s high time we do something to address this head-on,” Rep. Lawler told YWN. “That’s why I’m demanding accountability and transparency from the State Department, along with House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, to ensure bad actors are held responsible and so these passport delays become a thing of the past.” In the letter below, Reps. Lawler and McCaul exhort the State Department to crack down on these malignant actors. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
The post CRACKDOWN: State Dept. Targeting Passport Brokers Following Pressure From Rep. Lawler appeared first on The Yeshiva World.
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