New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez working to address passport backlog
WESTFIELD, N.J. -- With travel restrictions loosened after COVID-19, a record number of Americans are applying for new passports or renewals, and that's causing longer-than-usual wait times.
One New Jersey senator is putting the State Department on notice after being inundated by panicked travelers.
The lines were non-stop Monday at the Union County Clerk's Office where people can apply for a passport. One mom said she was not taking chances with her daughter's passport.
"Her passport is going to expire in May, but we are not going to travel until August," said Anabel Martinez of Elizabeth.
Tessa Gearity's passport expired and she said she may not make her nephew's May 6 first communion in Canada.
"The ceremony is in Niagara Falls, New York, and then the party afterwards is in Canada," said Gearity, of Westfield.
READ MORE: Where can you travel without a passport? Places to visit as passport backlog continues
The State Department is fielding 500,000 passport applications per week, with wait times up to three months.
Genaro Rojas of Ridgewood knows first-hand.
"My father was very ill, got the phone call for my mom, so I wanted to take my kids to see my dad probably for the last time," Rojas said.
However, Rojas almost missed the trip.
"I had already booked the flights and made the reservations and come to find out my daughter was to be 6 years old and her passport was about to be expired," he said.
READ MORE: Passport renewals are taking months. Here's how to get one fast
Sen. Robert Menendez's office was able to expedite his application.
"I was able to go to Peru, see my dad for the last time. My kids see my dad for the last time and it is a memory they will always have," Rojas said.
Cheyenne Murray's passport also expedited by the senator's office for a Saint Peter's University trip.
"It was really nerve-wracking. I was feeling very overwhelmed," Murray said.
Menendez said he has called on the State Department to fix an online glitch giving users trouble, but wants more.
"I've also asked my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for more funding to support passport processing," Menendez said.
The one thing you need to make sure is that your passport is good six months from the time you're traveling. Most countries require that.
"Look before you book," Rojas said.
And give yourself at least 10 to 13 weeks.
