Members of Georgia’s congressional delegation are helping constituents in need of new passports take (or keep) matters in their own hands as mail delivery problems continue to frustrate travel plans.
U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson worked with the Atlanta Passport Agency to facilitate an in-person Passport Day July 17 at the Latin American Association, where renewals took an average of 15 minutes per person.
The congressman’s office said 150 constituents got new travel documents at the event, which was organized after constituents complained that the U.S. Postal Service delays were stalling their applications.
The U.S. Postal Service has been under fire over processing delays at the Palmetto sorting center south of Atlanta this year. U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff of Georgia and other lawmakers sent scathing letters to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who was summoned to testify before Congress about the poor USPS performance during an April hearing.
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, another Democrat from Georgia’s 7th District in Gwinnett County, is hosting a similar Passport Day from noon to 3:30 p.m. at the Peachtree Corners Library Aug. 17.
The Atlanta Passport Agency is holding its own Passport Day event on July 27 from 8 to 11 a.m. at its offices in downtown Atlanta. Documents will be collected, but passports will not be issued on the same day.
The moves come as the U.S. State Department is beta testing an online renewal program, where holders of passports previously valid 10-year passports who have eight weeks before their international travel commences can apply for a limited number of slots that open up at 1 p.m. each weekday. Learn more about renewing online.
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock also hosted a Passport Day in May.
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