12 Comments

what's the possibility the State Dept has some work farmed out to private contractors? This smells like that, frankly. Congress has to fund the departments, and there IS a bent toward prvatizing, y'know . . . I do like that you had the good sense to reach out to your Congressperson, AND that she has a good staff to take care of the matter!

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Nick- I am sorry your sons had such a miserable experience. Hope they are having a great time in Japan.

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I ordered my passport in late January 2020. It arrived in July 2020. Part of the delay was, the world shutdown in March 2020. By the time the passport arrived, there was no where to go.

I am happy they got their passports.

Also, during the previous administration the State Department staffing levels dropped off significantly. A high school classmate voiced concerns that Department has been gutted. Think about US Embassy staff in Ukraine ~before ~ first impeachment. The extended government shutdown with weeks with no pay pushed many civil servants to vote with their feet. Suddenly anyone who works for the Federal Government is in the 'deep state'. What a sad time for all of us.

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Thank uou so much for posting this information. My passport expired 3 years ago and I'm afraid to send them my actual documents to get a new one. What if they lose the expired docs? Thanks so much for your publication. Sue Wells

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Boy, I hope I'm not one of these stranded travelers because my wife and I are scheduled to go to Spain soon and I am going by the schedule that they presented online. I'll have to keep my Spidey sense going on this one. It was great to hear that your representative was able to be of such a help. I may have to try the same.

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Take a giant guess under which administration this passport BS started thanks to the sheer incompetence of the dunderheads they placed in the agencies and the brainless budget cuts they made? I'll give you a hint, it rhymes with "Dump."

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I’ll be looking for their names!

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That is how bad things are getting,

The world has changed way to much

And our rights. Are being taken from us!!!

WE NEED TO STAND TALL TOGETHER

AND FIGHT FOR OUR RIGHTS!!!

GOD BLESS AND AMEN!!!

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Sorry about the careless spelling .. I'm looking for Colton & Travis ..

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I've never (sadly) needed a passport [no money], but the drawing is So Fab. Will always look for Colin & Travis. I *always* looked for NINA in Hirschfeld's 'toons.' It was obsessive fun.

https://nickanderson.substack.com/ @nick_anderson_

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my grandson got his passport the day before the trip which had been planned for months with passport applied for many months before. We miss you in Louisville!!! Sandy Gulick

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I love that you include your sons' names! I'll look for them in your subsequent art!! In terms of passports, I received an email from the State Department about one year before my passport was set to expire warning me that they were buried by requests for passports and that it would be a good idea to begin the renewal process right away. I followed their suggestion and received my passport in about 6 weeks. My husband had the same experience. Sorry your sons went through an ulcer-producing experience. I hope they are having a great time in Japan!!!

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