Tucson Passport Center and Western Passport Center

Floor Speech

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Mr. CISCOMANI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the monumental effort happening in my district of the Tucson Passport Center and Western Passport Center.

The employees here are working around the clock--sometimes 7 days a week--to help Americans across our country receive their passports during an unprecedented surge in demand and clear the backlog of applications.

These men and women are not only helping Americans in a timely manner, but they are also coming up with creative and innovative solutions so travelers' plans are not disrupted.

A record one-half million passport applications are being submitted every week--every single week--by our friends and our neighbors. Families going on vacation, students studying abroad, business travelers seeking trade opportunities, whatever the reason, Americans are traveling abroad like never before, and they aren't going to get very far without a passport.

The Western Passport Center is seeing upwards of 200 in-person emergency and urgent traveler counter appointments per day.

The Tucson Passport Center has ramped up organizations to print 80,000 passports per day, working in tandem with their colleagues in Arkansas to supply the 29 passport agencies and centers across the country.

Last month alone, Tucson printed 1.1 million passports--eclipsing the million they printed the month before.

I am honored to have these passport centers in Arizona's Sixth Congressional District. These individuals are really stepping up on behalf of myself, my constituents, and all the people they have helped. I thank them for a job well done.

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