[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15303-15304]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      PASSPORT PROCESSING BACKLOG

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, just last week I joined my 
colleagues Congressman Gene Green and Congressman Nick Lampson on 
trying to address the ongoing crisis in our communities, because we 
have a regional office for passports. Overnight stays, early morning 
arrivals, families crying and families not being able to be reunited, 
people traveling for hundreds of miles, and the reason is passport 
backlog because of no extra staff.
  Let me thank the staff who work so hard to ensure that those who came

[[Page 15304]]

could be served. We asked the State Department today to provide us with 
temporary permanent workers to carry out the responsibility.
  I would also say if there are waivers now being made for places like 
the Caribbean and Canada, I would only beg that information be given to 
travelers so they don't go to the airport and not have the necessary 
documentation.
  Madam Speaker, I close by saying I am reading today as well that the 
U.S. military is getting ready to arm the Sunnis. I would say if the 
Iraq war has come to this, it is time to bring our soldiers home. This 
is not the way to run a war.

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