Passport Delays During a Shutdown; Postal JOB Fairs in Philly
I’m opposed to a government shutdown for many reasons, including the delays it would mean for one of the services that Philadelphians ask my offices for help with most often: passport applications and renewals. I want to keep the government open and serving the people, and keep paychecks flowing to workers like air traffic controllers, for example – they have to keep working without pay if there’s a shutdown. Other vital services like Social Security, Medicare, veterans services and immigration would also be affected by a shutdown.
Unfortunately, a federal government shutdown as of Oct. 1 is likely, in my view. So I urge anyone planning international travel to act now to apply for a passport or a renewal if you need one.If you are planning international travel and already have a passport, check its expiration date as soon as possible! My Philadelphia offices (215-276-0340 or 215-254-3400) are often able to help with passport issues, but our ability to do that will be extremely limited in case of a shutdown.
Here’s why I believe a shutdown is likely: The narrow House Republican majority has failed to pass most of the yearly funding bills, including one that would fund passport services at the State Department. You can see the relative progress of the funding bills here – in the Senate, they have all come out of committee on strongly bipartisan votes, many of them unanimously.
In addition, several House Republicans have threatened to oppose a temporary funding bill (“continuing resolution”) that would keep the government open and serving you while longer-term bills can be negotiated and completed.
For updates on whether a shutdown will happen and what it would mean, I invite you to follow my Facebook, Twitter,Instagram and Threads pages – including updates on my Facebook and Instagram Stories. If you received this newsletter as a forward, click here to start receiving it straight to your own inbox.
Postal JOB Fairs in Philly
The U.S. Postal Service is holding more job fairs in Philadelphia. All fairs are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.:
· Wednesday, Sept. 20 - North Philadelphia Post Office - 2601 N. 16th St., Philadelphia, PA 19132
· Thursday, Sept. 21 - Paschall Post Office - 7300 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19153
· Tuesday, Sept. 26 - Main Post Office - 3000 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
· Wednesday, Sept. 27 - Kingsessing Post Office - 5311 Florence Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19143
· Thursday, Sept. 28 - Germantown Post Office - 5209 Greene St., Philadelphia, PA 19144
If you’d like to share the list of postal job fairs on social media, here are direct links to easy-to-share posts:
· Threads
My office can also help with other federal issues. During my first six years in Congress, my office has helped to return to or save more than $25 million for Philadelphians from federal agencies such as the IRS, Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs. We also help constituents with other federal concerns such as U.S. Postal Service issues and immigration or passport issues.
If you’re seeking help with a federal agency or a federal concern, you can contact my offices at 215-276-0340 (Northwest Philadelphia) or 215-254-3400 (Point Breeze) or fill out this form that legally authorizes us to look into your case. My staff has also resumed holding mobile office hours in several locations throughout the district.