Congressmen Question State Department About Backlog in Embassy in Yerushalayim

By Hamodia Staff

Seven members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Naz Durakoğlu, the Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Legislative Affairs in the Department of State, expressing their concern about reports of the backlog of services for American citizens in the US Embassy in Yerushalayim.

“Many of our constituents have reached out to share their frustrations with the U.S. Citizen Services provided in Israel,” they wrote, due to trouble making appointments since walk-ins are unavailable and appointment times are scarce. American citizens in Israel voiced their complaints related to months-long delays in obtaining passports for newborn children and consular report of birth abroad (CRBA) applications.

There are a reported half million US citizens living in Israel, and the congressmen asked if there are sufficient personnel to handle the numerous requests for services that these citizens require. In addition, they requested information concerning the current wait time for an appointment, the number of pending requests at the State Department offices in Yerushalayim, and what measures are being taken to alleviate the backlog. Finally, the letter asked for a comparison between the situation in Israel as compared to other countries.

The letter was signed by Congressmembers Mike Lawler, Pat Ryan, Anthony D’Esposito, Josh Gottheimer, Marcus Molinaro, Dan Goldman and Yvette Clark.