Many of us do not realize that U.S. citizens currently cannot obtain or renew passports except under emergency circumstances, and they have not been able to do so since early April 2020.
While operations may have first shut down for legitimate safety reasons, we cannot let the Trump administration use the pandemic as an excuse to further isolate Americans from the rest of the world, or to leave citizens stranded and separated from family.
Action: Ask your federal representatives to push for the State Department to begin processing mail-in passport applications and renewals again, by allowing employees to work from home, and ask them to institute social distancing for passport applications that require in-person applications.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal: https://jayapal.house.gov/contact/
Rep. Adam Smith: https://adamsmith.house.gov/contact
Sen. Patty Murray: https://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactme
Sen. Maria Cantwell: https://www.cantwell.senate.gov/contact/email/form
Sample Script:
My name is [NAME], I am writing from [CITY]. Please call on the State Department to resume issuing passports and renewals in a safe and socially distant manner. We cannot allow the Trump administration to use this crisis to further isolate Americans from the rest of the world, or leave citizens stranded and separated from their families.
