U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) is calling on the State Department to open a second passport agency in Florida.
The move comes after extensive water damage forced the Miami Passport Agency to close suddenly last week. As a result, travelers looking to obtain or renew their passports at the Miami office are now being told to visit offices in Atlanta or New Orleans instead.
“The sudden closure of the Miami Passport Agency remains an inconvenience to Floridians and further underscores the need for a second passport agency in the state,” Nelson wrote in a letter today to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
Nelson went on to point out that while states like California and Texas each have three passport offices, Florida – the third most populous state in the nation – has only one.
“To better serve the people of Florida and the millions of travelers who come to our state each year, I strongly urge you to open a second passport agency in Florida as soon as possible,” Nelson concluded.
Following is the full text of Nelson’s letter, and a PDF is available here:
May 2, 2017
The Honorable Rex W. Tillerson
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Secretary Tillerson:
I appreciate your department’s efforts to assist travelers affected by the unexpected closure of the Miami Passport Agency. I understand that limited passport services are now available at three temporary locations in the Miami area while the State Department works to fully re-open the Miami agency.
The sudden closure of the Miami Passport Agency remains an inconvenience to Floridians and further underscores the need for a second passport agency in the state.
At the time of the accident, there were more than 7,000 applications in process and 177 passports printed and ready to be picked up at the Miami Passport Agency. And now, because Florida has only one passport agency in the state, Floridians are forced to travel – on short notice and at their own personal expense – to the next nearest agencies in Atlanta and New Orleans.
Even before the Miami agency closed, there was considerable demand for passport services in Florida. Travelers often have to wait two to three weeks for an appointments at their local post office or county clerks’ office just to apply for a passport.
While states like California and Texas have three passport offices and New York has two, Florida – the third most populous state in the nation – has only one. To better serve the people of Florida and the millions of travelers who come to our state each year, I strongly urge you to open a second passport agency in Florida as soon as possible.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
