Thread: Testimony on Passport Before the U.S. Senate CFR

Testimony on Passport Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (As Prepared for Delivery)

As Prepared for Delivery

Senate Foreign Relations Committee

International Operations and Organizations,
Democracy and Human Right Subcommittee

Testimony of
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
Maura Harty

June 19, 2007
2:30 p.m.
____________

CHAIRMAN NELSON, RANKING MEMBER VITTER, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE, I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS HOW THE BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS IS WORKING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS FOR RELIABLE, SECURE PASSPORTS.

THE BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS (CA) IS CHARGED WITH ADJUDICATING APPLICATIONS FOR ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS ON THE PLANET: THE U.S. PASSPORT. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ISSUING PASSPORTS IN A MANNER THAT ENSURES THAT THE APPLICATION PROCESS IS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL AMERICANS, AND THAT ONLY THOSE ENTITLED TO THE PRIVILEGES AND BENEFITS OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP, INCLUDING A U.S. PASSPORT, RECEIVE ONE.

DEMAND FOR U.S. PASSPORTS IS AT UNPRECEDENTED LEVELS, AND PASSPORT PRODUCTION IS SOARING. WE ISSUED 10.1 MILLION PASSPORTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2005 AND 12.1 MILLION LAST YEAR. THIS MAY ALONE WE ISSUED 1.66 MILLION PASSPORTS, A RECORD HIGH. AS OF MAY 31 WE HAVE ISSUED 10.3 MILLION PASSPORTS THIS FISCAL YEAR – A 33 PERCENT INCREASE OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR – AND ARE ON PACE TO ISSUE OVER 17 MILLION BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.

AS A SERVICE ORGANIZATION, WE SET HIGH STANDARDS FOR OURSELVES IN CA; IT IS WHAT THE AMERICAN PUBLIC EXPECTS AND DESERVES. THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY AS AN ORGANIZATION WE HAVE, WITH RARE EXCEPTIONS, MET THOSE STANDARDS AND WE ARE TAKING THE STEPS NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT WE RETURN TO MEETING THOSE STANDARDS JUST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

NO ONE IS MORE AWARE THAN I OF THE FACT THAT, IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, MANY TRAVELERS WHO APPLIED FOR A PASSPORT DID NOT RECEIVE THEIR DOCUMENTS IN THE TIME FRAME THEY EXPECTED. IN SOME CASES, THE PASSPORTS DID NOT ARRIVE IN TIME FOR PLANNED TRAVEL. I DEEPLY REGRET THAT AND REGARD THE CURRENT SITUATION AS UNTENABLE.

I WOULD LIKE TO BRIEF YOU ON THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS, AND WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW AND OVER THE LONGER TERM TO IMPROVE OUR TURNAROUND TIME.


HOW DID WE GET HERE? PASSPORT RECEIPTS EXCEED EXPECTATIONS

WHEN CONGRESS PASSED THE INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT IN DECEMBER OF 2004, WHICH ESTABLISHED THE TRAVEL DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS THAT WHTI IMPLEMENTS, WE ANALYZED OUR FIGURES. WE ALSO COMMISSIONED AN INDEPENDENT SURVEY WHICH LED US TO PREDICT THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE 16.2 MILLION PASSPORT APPLICATIONS IN FY 2007 – A 31 PERCENT INCREASE OVER FY 2006 RECEIPTS. WE RAMPED UP CAPACITY AGAINST THAT PREDICTION:

* WE HIRED 441 EMPLOYEES IN PASSPORT SERVICES IN FY 2005, 925 IN FY 2006, AND 1,222 THUS FAR IN FY 2007 – A TOTAL OF 2,588 IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS. THESE FIGURES INCLUDE PASSPORT ADJUDICATORS AND CONTRACTORS WHO PERFORM CRITICAL NON-ADJUDICATIVE FUNCTIONS AT OUR PASSPORT AGENCIES.

* WE OPENED A SEVENTEENTH PASSPORT AGENCY IN COLORADO IN OCTOBER 2005 AND HAVE EXPANDED THE SIZE OF OUR AGENCIES IN HOUSTON, CHICAGO, NEW ORLEANS, BOSTON AND SEATTLE. OUR NATIONAL PASSPORT CENTER (NPC) WENT TO 24/7 OPERATIONS, AS DID OUR MEGA-CENTER IN CHARLESTON. WE ADDED SHIFTS AT OTHER AGENCIES. MOST RECENTLY, WE OPENED OUR NEW, 10-MILLION CAPACITY BOOKPRINT FACILITY IN HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS.

SIR, WE HAVE BEEN IN PERPETUAL FORWARD MOTION SINCE PASSAGE OF THE LAW WHICH CREATED THE NEW PASSPORT REQUIREMENT.

WE HAD A SETBACK. HURRICANE KATRINA HAD AN IMPACT ON OUR OPERATIONS. BEFORE KATRINA, OUR NEW ORLEANS PASSPORT AGENCY PROCESSED 20 PERCENT OF OUR OVERALL WORKLOAD; IN PREPARATION FOR WHTI WE PLANNED TO INCREASE CAPACITY TO APPROXIMATELY 25 PERCENT. FOLLOWING KATRINA, THE NEW ORLEANS FACILITY WAS OUT OF COMMISSION FOR FIVE MONTHS, AND WHEN IT RE-OPENED IN FEBRURY 2006 IT HAD A CAPACITY TO PROCESS ONLY 10 PERCENT OF TOTAL U.S. PASSPORT DEMAND. BUT THOSE GOOD PEOPLE ARE WORKING HARD AND NEW ORLEANS NOW PROCESSES JUST OVER TEN PERCENTOF DEMAND.

THE SITUATION IN 2007 – WHEN PHASE I OF WHTI TOOK EFFECT

WE PROJECTED WE WOULD RECEIVE 16.2 MILLION PASSPORT APPLICATIONS IN THE COURSE OF FY 2007, BUT ARE ON PACE TO RECEIVE AT LEAST A MILLION AND A HALF MORE THAN THAT. WHAT WE FAILED TO PREDICT WAS HOW QUICKLY AMERICAN CITIZENS WOULD CHOOSE TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW, AND THAT RECORD-SETTING, COMPRESSED DEMAND IS THE ROOT OF OUR CHALLENGE. APPLICATIONS INCREASED DRAMATICALLY IN A VERY SHORT TIME FRAME. IN THE FINAL MONTH BEFORE WHTI IMPLEMENTATION, DECEMBER 2006, WE RECEIVED APPROXIMATELY 1 MILLION APPLICATIONS – AND THEN RECEIPTS SPIKED SHARPLY. WE RECEIVED 1.8 MILLION APPLICATIONS IN JANUARY 2007, 1.7 MILLION IN FEBRUARY, AND 1.997 MILLION IN MARCH – ESSENTIALLY 5.4 MILLION APPLICATIONS IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

OUR EXTENSIVE OUTREACH ABOUT WHTI DROVE PART OF THIS DEMAND – FROM TRAVELERS PLANNING AIR TRAVEL, BUT ALSO OTHERS INTENDING TO TRAVEL BY SEA OR LAND. IN ADDITION, MANY OTHERS WHO PLAN NO OVERSEAS TRAVEL HAVE APPLIED FOR PASSPORTS BECAUSE THEY SEE THEM AS THE PREMIER CITIZENSHIP AND IDENTITY DOCUMENT, ONE THAT ALLOWS THE BEARER TO BOARD AN AIRPLANE, PROVE CITIZENSHIP FOR EMPLOYMENT PURPOSES, APPLY FOR FEDERAL BENEFITS, AND OTHER NEEDS NOT RELATED TO INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL.

RECEIPTS FAR EXCEEDED OUR ABILITY TO KEEP PACE WITH THEM IN OUR TRADITIONAL TIMEFRAME. IT BEGAN TO TAKE LONGER TO PROCESS APPLICATIONS. OUR AVERAGE PROCESSING TIME LENGTHENED FROM SIX WEEKS IN DECEMBER, TO 10 TO 12 WEEKS TODAY. WE HAVE UPDATED OUR WEBSITE ACCORDINGLY AND REGULARLY.

WE HAVE INTRODUCED A HOST OF TACTICS TO ASSIST PASSPORT CUSTOMERS AND PROCESS EXISTING AND NEW APPLICATIONS:

* WE WORKED WITH OUR CALL CENTER AND LOCKBOX FACILITIES AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS TO RAMP UP CAPACITY;
* ALL AGENCIES ARE WORKING EXTENDED HOURS, INCLUDING EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS;
* WE STOOD UP TWO ADDITIONAL AROUND-THE CLOCK TASK FORCES AT STATE TO ANSWER PUBLIC INQUIRIES AND ADJUDICATE PASSPORT APPLICATIONS – OVER 80,000 TO DATE;
* WE IMPOSED MANDATORY OVERTIME AND SUSPENDED FOR THE TIME BEING NON-CRITICAL TRAINING FOR EXISTING EMPLOYEES;
* WE CONTINUE TO HIRE AGGRESSIVELY;
* WE DISPATCHED TEAMS OF PASSPORT SPECIALISTS TO EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH VOLUME PASSPORT AGENCIES TO ASSIST WITH WALK-IN APPLICANTS AND PROCESS PENDING APPLICATIONS;
* WE ACCELERATED PLANNED EXPANSION OF FACILITIES TO ACCOMMODATE INCREASED STAFF.

AS A RESULT OF THESE EFFORTS, EVEN AS WE ARE RECEIVING RECORD NUMBERS OF APPLICATIONS, WE ARE ALSO ISSUING RECORD NUMBERS OF PASSPORTS. WE ARE ISSUING AN AVERAGE OF 1.5 MILLION PASSPORTS PER MONTH. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF AMERICANS WHO APPLY FOR PASSPORTS ARE GETTING THEM IN TIME TO TRAVEL. BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT MOST IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. SO WE ARE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

ADDRESSING RECORD DEMAND: THE SHORT TERM
IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT SITUATION, SECRETARIES RICE AND CHERTOFF AGREED THAT DHS WOULD USE ITS EXISTING AUTHORITY TO EXERCISE FLEXIBILITY IN DETERMINING THE DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED OF AMERICAN CITIZENS TO ENTER AND DEPART FROM THE U.S. DURING THIS CONTINUING TRANSITION TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WHTI AIR RULE.

UNTIL SEPTEMBER 30, 2007, AMERICAN CITIZENS TRAVELING TO CANADA, MEXICO, BERMUDA OR COUNTRIES IN THE CARIBBEAN REGION AS DEFINED ON OUR WEBSITE WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR, BUT NOT YET RECEIVED THEIR PASSPORTS, CAN RE-ENTER THE UNITED STATES BY AIR WITH A GOVERNMENT-ISSUED PHOTO IDENTIFICATION AND DEPARTMENT OF STATE OFFICIAL PROOF OF APPLICATION FOR A PASSPORT WHICH CAN BE PRINTED FROM OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.TRAVEL.STATE.GOV. THE PRINT-OUT SHOWS THAT AN APPLICATION HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY OUR OFFICE OF PASSPORT SERVICES. YOU CAN SEE A SNAPSHOT OF THIS PRINT-OUT BEHIND ME.

SINCE WE ANNOUNCED THIS FLEXIBILITY ON JUNE 8, MY COLLEAGUES IN THE BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS AND I HAVE CONDUCTED NUMEROUS BRIEFINGS AND OTHER PUBLIC OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS FLEXIBLE TRANSITION PERIOD. DHS’ CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION AGENCY BRIEFED AIR CARRIERS. WE STAY IN FREQUENT COMMUNICATION WITH THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY, AND WITH OUR PASSPORT AGENCIES, AND PASSPORT ACCEPTANCE FACILITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY TO GET FEEDBACK AND STAY ABREAST OF PUBLIC CONCERNS. OUR EMBASSIES IN THE AFFECTED AREA ARE ALSO VERY ENGAGED IN THIS EFFORT.

THE JOINT STATE-DHS ANNOUNCEMENT HAD AN IMMEDIATE IMPACT. ON MONDAY, JUNE 11, MORE THAN 61,000 USERS ACCESSED THE INTERNET SITE FROM WHICH PROOF OF A PENDING PASSPORT APPLICATION CAN BE OBTAINED. THE NUMBER OF TELEPHONE AND E-MAIL INQUIRIES TO OUR NATIONAL PASSPORT INFORMATION CENTER DECLINED PRECIPITOUSLY. WHEN WE LEARNED OF A SOFTWARE ISSUE THAT PREVENTED A SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE FROM BEING ABLE TO OBTAIN THE PROOF OF APPLICATION THEY NEEDED, WE DEVELOPED A QUICK FIX.

WE WILL, OF COURSE, PROCESS TO COMPLETION ALL APPLICATIONS ON HAND; BUT THE FLEXIBLE TRANSITION PERIOD WILL ALLOW US TO GET FIRST TO MANY OF THOSE APPLICATIONS WHERE PEOPLE ACTUALLY NEED PASSPORTS IN ORDER TO TRAVEL.

RESPONSE TO INCREASED CALL VOLUME

WE KNOW THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD TROUBLE GETTING THROUGH TO THE NATIONAL PASSPORT INFORMATION CENTER. THIS HAS BEEN A MAJOR SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION TO THE PUBLIC AND TO YOUR STAFFS. IN RESPONSE TO VERY HEAVY CALL VOLUME, THE CALL CENTER INCREASED STAFF TO OVER 400 CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES, EXTENDED OPERATING HOURS, AND INSTALLED 432 ADDITIONAL HIGH-CAPACITY TELEPHONE LINES. AS THOSE IMPROVEMENTS WERE UNDERWAY, WE ALSO SET UP A TEMPORARY CALL CENTER AT OUR KENTUCKY CONSULAR CENTER WITH 100 ADDITIONAL OPERATORS AND A TELEPHONE TASK FORCE AT THE DEPARTMENT TO HANDLE THE OVERFLOW.

ADDRESSING RECORD DEMAND: THE LONGER TERM
MR. CHAIRMAN, IT IS CLEAR TO US THAT WHTI IMPLEMENTATION MEANS A PERMANENT INCREASE IN PASSPORT DEMAND. THE RECORD-BREAKING NUMBERS WE SEE TODAY ARE LIKELY NOT AN ANOMALY; DEMAND WILL CONTINUE TO GROW. WE HAVE ANOTHER WORKLOAD STUDY UNDERWAY, BUT INFORMALLY PROJECT THE DEMAND FOR PASSPORTS TO BE APPROXIMATELY 23 MILLION IN 2008, AND AS HIGH AS 30 MILLION BY 2010. WE ARE BUILDING CAPACITY TO MEET IT.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE ESSENTIAL. ON JUNE 8 WE NOTIFIED CONGRESS THAT THE DEPARTMENT PLANS TO DEVOTE AN ADDITIONAL $36,900,000 FOR THE FY 2007 BORDER SECURITY PROGRAM TO HIRE AN ADDITIONAL 400 PERSONNEL THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND FUND EXPANSION OF OUR NATIONAL PASSPORT CENTER IN PORTSMOUTH, NH AND OUR MIAMI PASSPORT AGENCY.

WE ARE BRINGING ON HUGE NUMBERS OF PASSPORT EMPLOYEES, CHANGING OUR PROCESSES, AND USING SPECIAL MEASURES TO ASSIST TRAVELERS. YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SEE 100 PERCENT EFFORT FROM US, AS CONGRESSIONAL STAFFERS AROUND THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING SHERRY DAVICH, PEGGY GUSTAVE AND KAREN CULLY OF YOUR ORLANDO OFFICE ALREADY HAVE GRACIOUSLY NOTED.

CONCLUSION

MR. CHAIRMAN, THE WORLD OF U.S. PASSPORT PRODUCTION HAS CHANGED FUNDAMENTALLY WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE INTELLIGENCE REFORM AND TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF WHTI. THE BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS IS CHANGING WITH IT. WE ARE COMMITTED TO MEETING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC’S DEMAND FOR RELIABLE, SECURE TRAVEL DOCUMENTS. WE ARE COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING FOR OUR NATION THE SECURITY AND EFFICIENCY BENEFITS OF WHTI. AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING TIRELESSLY TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY AND TRANSPARENCY OF THE PASSPORT PROCESS WHILE ENSURING ITS ONGOING INTEGRITY.

WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE GOTTEN FROM YOU AND YOUR STAFFS AS WE WORK TO MEET NEW CHALLENGES. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER WITH YOU TO ACHIEVE OUR SHARED PURPOSE TO HELP AMERICAN CITIZENS TO TRAVEL, WHILE GUARANTEEING THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION.

I THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THE CURRENT SITUATION WITH REGARD TO U.S. PASSPORTS AND WHAT WE DOING TO MEET UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND. I AM HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.

http://travel.state.gov/law/legal/testi ... _3261.html

Testimony of
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs
Maura Harty


* WE WORKED WITH OUR CALL CENTER AND LOCKBOX FACILITIES AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS TO RAMP UP CAPACITY;
* ALL AGENCIES ARE WORKING EXTENDED HOURS, INCLUDING EVENINGS AND WEEKENDS;
* WE STOOD UP TWO ADDITIONAL AROUND-THE CLOCK TASK FORCES AT STATE TO ANSWER PUBLIC INQUIRIES AND ADJUDICATE PASSPORT APPLICATIONS – OVER 80,000 TO DATE;
* WE IMPOSED MANDATORY OVERTIME AND SUSPENDED FOR THE TIME BEING NON-CRITICAL TRAINING FOR EXISTING EMPLOYEES;
* WE CONTINUE TO HIRE AGGRESSIVELY;
* WE ACCELERATED PLANNED EXPANSION OF FACILITIES TO ACCOMMODATE INCREASED STAFF.

WE KNOW THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD TROUBLE GETTING THROUGH TO THE NATIONAL PASSPORT INFORMATION CENTER. THIS HAS BEEN A MAJOR SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION TO THE PUBLIC AND TO YOUR STAFFS. IN RESPONSE TO VERY HEAVY CALL VOLUME, THE CALL CENTER INCREASED STAFF TO OVER 400 CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES, EXTENDED OPERATING HOURS, AND INSTALLED 432 ADDITIONAL HIGH-CAPACITY TELEPHONE LINES.. AS THOSE IMPROVEMENTS WERE UNDERWAY, WE ALSO SET UP A TEMPORARY CALL CENTER AT OUR KENTUCKY CONSULAR CENTER WITH 100 ADDITIONAL OPERATORS AND A TELEPHONE TASK FORCE AT THE DEPARTMENT TO HANDLE THE OVERFLOW.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE ESSENTIAL. ON JUNE 8 WE NOTIFIED CONGRESS THAT THE DEPARTMENT PLANS TO DEVOTE AN ADDITIONAL $36,900,000 FOR THE FY 2007 BORDER SECURITY PROGRAM TO HIRE AN ADDITIONAL 400 PERSONNEL THIS FISCAL YEAR, AND FUND EXPANSION OF OUR NATIONAL PASSPORT CENTER IN PORTSMOUTH, NH AND OUR MIAMI PASSPORT AGENCY.

Maura Harty should be placed in charge of hiring and building new facilities for ICE.

"First of all, the so-called War on Terror isn’t a war on terror at all, it’s a war on the Constitution and Bill of Rights; a war on the rights of the American people." Lynn Stuter, researcher, analyst

They are going thru this now...just think ....in 10 years (or however long they are valid)...they will go thru it again...


I got mine b/4 the crush cause it made it simplier to get a drivers licence in Nevada when I moved from California