Davids Leads Bipartisan, Bi-State Delegation Letter Commending State Department on Kansas City Passport Agency
Today, Representative Sharice Davids (D-KS-03) led a bipartisan, bicameral Kansas–Missouri delegation in thanking U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his collaborative efforts to swiftly develop a new Kansas City Passport Agency. The letter underscores the urgent need for improved passport access in the region and the significant relief the new agency will provide to families, workers, and businesses across Kansas and Missouri.
Along with Davids, the letter was signed by Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Representatives Mark Alford (R-MO-04), Wesley Bell (D-MO-01), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-05), Bob Onder (R-MO-03), Derek Schmidt (R-KS-02), Ron Estes (R-KS-04), Tracey Mann (R-KS-01), and Ann Wagner (R-MO-02), reflecting broad bipartisan support from both states.
“Please accept our utmost appreciation for your collaboration in the long-awaited Passport Agency construction in Kansas City,” wrote the Members. “This project will significantly strengthen communications within our states, expand opportunities, and enhance the overall well-being of the families and businesses we serve. We are grateful for your commitment to this matter and the Department of State resources that have been dedicated to these efforts.”
The delegation highlighted years of constituent concerns about delayed and inaccessible passport services that have forced Kansans and Missourians to miss weddings, honeymoons, funerals, time-sensitive work travel, and other critical life events.
Without a local passport agency, residents of the Kansas City metro area have been required to travel hours for expedited assistance — including trips of more than six hours to Minneapolis, seven hours to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and more than eight hours to cities like Dallas and Denver.
The delegation noted that, once all newly announced passport facilities open nationwide, 96 percent of Americans will live within a five-hour drive of a passport agency — a substantial improvement from 2023.
In 2024, Davids and Cleaver broke the news about Kansas City being selected as a Passport Agency location. Now, the Department of State has broken ground on the facility. The pair also previously urged the U.S. Department of State to provide answers for the dramatic delays in processing passport applications.
Read Davids’ full letter here or below:
Dear Secretary Rubio,
We write to commend the U.S. Department of State on their collaborative efforts to swiftly develop the new Kansas City Passport Agency. In 2023, after we heard from many constituents in Kansas and Missouri, our respective delegations took action to highlight this issue and re-emphasize the need for a Passport Agency within the Kansas City metro area.
Our offices have heard directly from constituents whose delayed or inaccessible passport services caused them to miss weddings, honeymoons, time-sensitive work travel, funerals, and other once-in-a-lifetime or critical obligations.
Currently, Kansans and Missourians are burdened with hours-long trips to receive expedited passport assistance. Specifically, from the Kansas City Metro Area, travel times to the nearest agencies include:
- Minneapolis, MN: 6.5 hours
- Hot Springs, AK: 7 hours
- Chicago, IL: 7.5 hours
- Dallas, TX: 8 hours
- Denver, CO: 8.5 hours
Soon, our constituents will have convenient access to a passport agency close to — if not directly in — their own community.
The future Kansas City Passport Agency will make travel and passport maintenance more accessible by shortening commutes and wait times for processing and renewal services for Kansans and Missourians. Once the additionally announced new passport facilities open for operation, ninety-six percent of Americans will be within a five-hour drive of a passport agency for urgent or emergency travel. Though this commute is still lengthy, it is a notable improvement and expansion from 2023.
The Kansas City Passport Agency will allow residents in Kansas, Missouri, and surrounding areas to receive federal assistance with increased accessibility and faster means to manage passport inquiries or possible issues that may arise with acquiring government documents.
Please accept our utmost appreciation for your collaboration in the long-awaited Passport Agency construction in Kansas City. This project will significantly strengthen communications within our states, expand opportunities, and enhance the overall well-being of the families and businesses we serve.
We are grateful for your commitment to this matter and the Department of State resources that have been dedicated to these efforts. We remain committed to supporting the development of the Kansas City Passport Agency at every stage and appreciate the significant impact of your involvement in this process.
Sincerely,