So my passport expires this year before our planned trip to Tibet.  So to be safe (and save myself the $50 for expedited service) I submitted my passport for renewal by mail in late March.  A month later all of the news stories about the Passport Agency being backed up broke.  Apparently, there was a huge rush of Passport requests that were filed due to a new requirement of having Passports for air travel to other countries in North America (e.g. Mexico, Canada, Caribbean, etc).  While our travel is still a little ways off, we need to also apply for a Chinese visa which requires a passport and we don't want to book tickets until we have the Chinese visa.  So like a good citizen I went up to the Department of State website and checked the status of my passport application.  I am not even sure why they are advertising this as a way to check the status of your application.  After putting in you name, birthdate, and last four digits, you get back a message saying that it now takes 10-12 weeks for requests to be completed.  When I applied, it was supposed to be 4-6 weeks.

 

Worried that my dream trip was in jeopardy, I called the Passport Agency to see if i could check on the status of my Passport.   After navigating the automated phone message menu and listening to countless statements about how to file for a passport, how big of a back log there is, and referrals to use the super useful online status checking tool (see above).  I was placed in a waiting queue (elevator music and all) with a statement that the wait was 15 minutes.  After five minutes, the music stopped playing.  I had been disconnected.  I called back.  Again going through the menus and the advice (I wonder how that online status tool is).  This time after listening to all the statements there was a message that said the phone system was overwhelmed and they were no longer accepting phone calls.  Frustrated I decided to follow the advice that my father had recommended which was to call my congressman.  I started by giving Represetative Jim McDermott's office a call.  I explained my situation to them and they suggested that I get all required material to apply and go wait in line at the Seattle Passport Agency.  Needless to say, that was not the kind of help I was looking for.  Next I called, Senator Patty Murray's office.  I explained my plight to the person that answered the phone.  I was told that Patty Murray had a case worker dedicated to contacting the Passport Agency.  My information was taken and I was told that I would most likely hear back the same day or at the latest the next business day.  Two hours later, I received a phone call from someone at the Seattle Passport Agency.  I was told that my Passport was tracked down and it was in New Hampshire.  I explained the situation to the Passport Agency rep and was told that an "urgent" request was going to be placed on my passport on behalf of Patty Murray. I was informed that I would have my Passport in five days!!  Five days!!  Thank you, Patty Murray!  Consider me a contributor to you next campaign.