Two New York Congressional Reps Seek to Make US Passports More Affordable

By Linda Ripoll

With the difficult economic conditions that are plaguing the country, there are many ways Americans are cutting costs. One interesting way that two New York Congressional representatives, Democrats Brian Higgins and Kathy Hochul, seek to lighten their constituents’ economic load is by lowering the cost of obtaining a US passport. Currently it costs $110 dollars to purchase a US passport through regular service and $170 to expedite. Upstate New York is very close to the Canadian border and back in 2008, the law went into effect that made it mandatory to have a US passport to cross the border. This law and the rising prices in passports has been a pressure issue for many that live near the Northern border.