Government Shutdown Avoided, Passport Applications Back On Track

With Democrats and Republicans late Friday night agreeing on the framework for a national budget, there should be no interruption in the processing of passport applications.  The U.S. State Department handles passport requests, many that come through the Post Office.  In 2010, the Postal Service accepted 6.7 million passport applications at retail locations across the country.

According to USPS spokesperson Jim Wigdel,  Passport Day in the USA, an outreach event scheduled for today in the Bay Area at which customers would find information and apply for passports without appointments, has been cancelled.  The event was scheduled for post offices in San Bruno, Redwood City, San Carlos and Los Altos.  Potential tourists hoping for more information are urged to call 1-877-487-2778, the National Passport Information Center.  Customers who have already applied for passports and are looking for their application status can log on to www.travel.state.gov.