Congressman Paul Hodes Urges Secretary of State Rice to Reconsider Closing Dover Call Center

For Immediate Release

December 3, 2008

Contact:        Mark Bergman

                202-225-5206

Congressman Paul Hodes Urges Secretary of State Rice to Reconsider Closing Dover Call Center

Washington, DC---- Congressman Paul Hodes today joined Governor John Lynch and Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter to urge Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to reconsider their decision to close the AT&T Call Center in Dover, which employees over 300 Granite Staters. A similar letter was sent to Senator Hillary Clinton, President-elect Obama’s Secretary of State Nominee. The full text of the letter is below.

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December 3, 2008

The Honorable Condoleezza Rice

Secretary of State

U.S. Department of State

2201 C St Nw

Washington, DC 20520

Dear Secretary Rice,

I am writing to express my concern with the recent decision by the U.S. State Department not to renew its National Passport Information Center (NPIC) contract with AT&T Government Solutions in Dover, New Hampshire. I strongly urge you to reconsider this decision.

This decision would cost over 300 employees their jobs, and have a devastating impact on their families and the community of Dover, NH. The Dover NPIC facility has provided a strong service of highly qualified and trained employees that have served the State Department since September 1996.

I appreciate your attention to this matter, and please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any further assistance.

Sincerely,

Paul W. Hodes

Member of Congress

CC: Senator Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State Designate