The members of the delegation said the new facility will be vital to the development of Hot Springs and will provide a much needed service to Americans planning to travel outside of the country. The Arkansas Passport Company opened its doors for business in March and just last month printed its 100,000^th passport. The facility has also created over a hundred jobs in the community and is expected to be a continued source of economic growth in the coming years.

“Congratulations to the employees of the Arkansas Passport Company on reaching this important milestone,” Ross said.  “It is an honor to help commemorate this achievement on the official grand opening of this facility.  I am proud to support the Arkansas Passport Company as it plays a tremendous role in our government’s ability to keep up with the increased demand in passports. Without the hard work and determination of all those employees who work at the facility, none of this would be possible.”

“The Hot Springs passport facility has played a crucial role at a time when demand for passports in this country has soared,” Lincoln said. “The more than 100,000 passports produced by this new facility in record time is further proof that its work is critical to alleviating the problem of passport delays.  I know travelers are very thankful for the hardworking individuals in Hot Springs for their part in making thousands of families’ travel plans possible.”

“Passports are essential for Americans to travel abroad whether on business or vacation,” said Pryor.  “I appreciate the hard work by employees in Hot Springs to improve the efficiency of passport processing.”

"The new Western Hemisphere travel initiative implemented earlier this year, which requires U.S. citizens to have passports when traveling to countries like Canada and Mexico, has created a tremendous backlog," said Berry.  "I'm pleased to see the Arkansas Passport Center open for business because they will not only help alleviate the bureaucracy of applying for a passport, they are also creating additional jobs, which benefits the community."

“I’ve always known that the roads to the rest of the world begin in Arkansas,” said Snyder. “Now it’s official. Congratulations, Hot Springs!!”

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