Passport backlog threatens to upend travel plans for millions of Americans | TheHill

The State Department said in a briefing Wednesday that processing could take up to 18 weeks.

The top members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony BlinkenAntony BlinkenUS Haitian elected officials request 'urgent' meeting with Biden US warns against American business operations in Hong Kong Lebanese prime minister-designate steps down amid economic crisis MORE on Monday calling for the State Department to “prioritize efforts to reduce processing time for passport applications.”.

“As more and more employees are able to safely return to work, and with demand for passports surging, it is critical that the Department use all available tools to reduce extended processing times, including strategies developed to address past passport backlogs,” wrote Reps.

The backlog now numbers as many as 2 million passport applications, for new ones and renewals, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Passport Services Rachel Arndt told reporters in a briefing Wednesday.

“That is somewhat higher than what we would normally expect to see,” Arndt said, adding that application volume grew alongside vaccination rates in the U.S.

Much of the processing has to be done with staff physically present in the office, said Arndt, adding that the State Department is bringing back more than 150 employees to help deal with the workload and will continue to increase that number.

Don Beyer's (D-Va.) office said that in 2019, it had 13 passport cases from constituents for the entire year.

The State Department this month told congressional offices they will not be taking requests for the kinds of meetings they usually held in the past to expedite a passport.

The State Department is warning people against using third-party appointment booking services, noting they have seen numerous instances of falsified appointment bookings through some vendors.