1. Is the precedent that statutory obligations do not truly create contracts sound as the federal government continues to grow and promulgate more and more regulations?
2. Had the government substituted more proactive words for the words “will be processed,” could the court have come to a different decision?
3. Chattler could have accepted the government’s offer to drop the suit, write a letter requesting a refund, and be done with the matter. What would have been lost had she withdrawn her suit?

Chattler applied for a U.S. passport and requested an expedited processing procedure outlined in the application materials. The expedited processing option was included as part of the application’s instructions stating that expedited requests would be processed by a government passport agency in three business days in exchange for a fee of $60. Chattler paid the expedited fee and filed her application on June 11, 2007. After three months, the passport had still not arrived and Chattler applied, in person, for a second time. Chattler received her passport in time to fulfill her travel plans and the government did not dispute that her first expedited request was not processed in the three day time period.