[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Pages 18339-18340]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                FORMER PRESIDENTS PROTECTION ACT OF 2012

  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Judiciary Committee be 
discharged from further consideration of H.R. 6620 and the Senate 
proceed to its consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:


[[Page 18340]]

       A bill (H.R. 6620) to amend title 18, United States Code, 
     to eliminate certain limitations on the length of Secret 
     Service Protection for former Presidents and for the children 
     of former Presidents.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. LEAHY. Today the Senate is enacting provisions sent to us by 
Representative Conyers, Chairman Smith and others to repeal a 
shortsighted limitation passed in 1994 to limit Secret Service 
protection of former Presidents. The House bill reverses the 10-year 
limitation enacted during a time when partisans were angry at the 
American people's election of President Clinton. They contended they 
were saving taxpayers money with this change in protection, but I doubt 
their legislation had any such effect. Now that the limitation might 
limit Secret Service protection for George W. Bush, they are ready to 
reverse course. We live in a world of real threats and dangerous people 
intent on wrongdoing. I support this effort to protect former President 
Bush and other Presidents going forward.
  I think we should take a more thorough look at this outdated statute 
and expressly extend protection for the minor children of former 
Presidents, as well. In today's world, I do not believe ending such 
protection at age 15 is prudent. I have raised the issue with the 
authors of this legislation, with the Secret Service and with the 
current administration. They are hesitant to improve upon the current 
bill. I think we are making a mistake by not taking this opportunity to 
extend protection to children in our first families until they reach 21 
years of age. I will not hold up the beneficial change that will be 
made by the House bill in order to demand a more thorough overhaul of 
the statute at this time. I suspect Congress will need to reassess this 
matter because we have not done all we should now.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be considered 
made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and 
any statements related to this matter be placed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 6620) was ordered to a third reading, was read the 
third time, and passed.

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