Republicans in the U.S. House are urging the Department of State to address the backlog of passport services, pointing to calls from constituents trying to get requests processed. 

U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro, in a letter released Monday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, called the delays "completely unacceptable," and said they have led to increased airline fees, vacation costs and paying more to expedite applications. 

Molinaro, along with Long Island Rep. Andrew Gabarino, wrote in a letter to Blinken the issue needs to be addressed with the summer travel season in full swing. 

"Our offices have collectively fielded hundreds of calls a day from constituents upset with the lack of response to their requests. Though we lack acknowledgment from agencies outside our region, we have seen a positive outcome on passport applications processed in other regions," the lawmakers wrote. "Our offices have been forced to make passport appointments for constituents at said agencies, ranging from Buffalo to San Diego, for passport applications already outside of processing times. Constituents should not have to add an additional expense and travel just to obtain their passport."

Americans are once again traveling this summer as most pandemic-related restrictions have ended. But the pent-up demand has led to backlogs for processing passport renewals or new applications. 

The lawmakers also want to know how many resources are being dedicated to handling passport requests as well as what steps are being taken to address the backlog. 

In a response sent on Tuesday, a State Department official said it was focused on hiring, training and retaining staff to bring down passport processing times by the end of 2023.

It said the department increased staffing levels, and has authorized 30,000 to 40,000 overtime hours a month this year. 

“We are constantly reassessing our operations to maximize efficiencies and are introducing innovations to our customer service and processing models,” the official said in a statement. “We are investing in supporting and modernizing our technology. We are also working to improve our communications with the public so that U.S. citizens apply earlier and understand the passport application process.”

The department advises travelers to review processing times on travel.state.gov before making non-refundable travel plans.