January 23, 2008
Posted: 12:30 PM ET

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Vice President Dick Cheney warned Congress Wednesday that a "day of reckoning" is near if it doesn't soon pass a bill to replace an expiring law that expanded the government's ability to conduct warrantless surveillance of suspected terrorists.

In a speech before the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, Cheney called on lawmakers to make permanent the temporary changes that helped close a gap in the intelligence community's ability to gather information important to national security.

Last August, Congress hurriedly passed the Protect America Act (PAA) after the Director of National Intelligence told the lawmakers that technology changes had hampered the ability to collect intelligence against terrorists. The law expires February 1.

The vice president also pushed Congress to give immunity to telecommunications companies who assist the government in the warrantless eavesdropping on terrorists believed to be overseas even if those calls should involve conversations with people in the United States.

Cheney said telecommunications companies are facing dozens of lawsuits and they "should not be punished" for helping the government track al Qaeda terrorists. Without immunity, Cheney warned, the private sector "might be extremely reluctant to comply with future requests from the government even if necessary to protect American lives," a risk he called "unacceptable."

Congress had been divided over whether to provide immunity. The Senate is set to begin debate Wednesday night on the controversial bill, which does include immunity for the telecommunications companies. The legislation faces a number of amendments including one to strip the immunity provision. The House has already passed a version of the bill without immunity.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, wanted to extend the PAA for a month to give Congress more time to pass the legislation, but Republicans and the White House are opposed.

–CNN National Security Producer Pam Benson

Filed under: Congress • Dick Cheney


caesar   January 24th, 2008 8:01 pm ET

Cheney warns of a need for new surveillance law…
right.
Otherwise what? If we don't, and we get attacked, it will be our fault?

Executive Contact   January 24th, 2008 12:10 pm ET

We've been doing this for decades, before and after the break up of AT&T this was seen as the Telecom's role and duty. This is not new, especially to those with long tenures at high levels within the Bell System.

Paul Slinde   January 24th, 2008 10:38 am ET

All the candidates in the presidential primary races have their own plan to solve the problem of national health care. They proudly proclaim that when they are elected president, national health care will be one of their priorities. My question is ,why aren't the candidates, who are in congress, proposing legislation now to address this problem using their plan? Why are they wasting time to be elected and sworn in as president? People are suffering and sometimes dying because of the lack of health care!! Here is a chance to show us they mean what they say TODAY, not a year from now.

Karen   January 24th, 2008 10:35 am ET

Yes, he should be in the Hague for war crimes. Cheney is one of the worst terrorists in existence. By creating and acting on a plan for world dominance using military force, Cheney via Bush has created a horrifying position for Americans.

Do not believe that because he only has 300+ days left, that they cannot make things worse. Cheney and company will use all the hype and attention with the presidential campaigns to slide more illegal acts past us. Keep on top of it. Do not let the media storm take your eyes off this man.

Remember Nixon and his illegal wiretapping of opponents and theft of documents from the Democratic Party offices? By using warrantless surveillance of suspected terrorists, imagine what Cheney could do for the Republican Party in this election. Remember, this surveillance is used on all phone calls and internet usage, not just on a targeted few. It has been reported that the government has an office at the AT&T headquarters so they can monitor all calls.

Keep in touch with your Congress members. Keep pressing them to do away with this surveillance. We cannot afford to allow this administration any more open and easy access into our lives via phone calls and internet usage. Tell your Congress members to stand up for our constitutional rights. Stand up for us.

Pickles, Monaca, PA   January 24th, 2008 10:14 am ET

If a Republican is elected to the White House, next year's headline will read "Vice President warns Congress of need for new Constitution."

Nick, Denham Springs, LA   January 24th, 2008 10:05 am ET

And we were all duped in believing George W Bush is for small/limited government.. Republicans have big government, they want to put Democracy every place in the world, bigger military, bigger investment in the military industrial complex; we want to go and solve every problem in every dictatorship in the world. That's bigger government. That's more government involvement. That's big tax payer spending. And that's what the Republicans have wanted to do

Jim Kansas   January 24th, 2008 9:12 am ET

Having grown up in the greatest nation in the world, a nation respected for its courts and freedoms, I say who cares what the Cheney says. He and his type have made this nation a nation that now finds its self on a list warning countries that individuals may be tortured. We are no longer respected but despised, a human rights violater and a nation that 20 years ago we would not do trade with due to human right violations.

We do not need new legislation surveillance of suspected terrorists, we need to start following our Constitution and laws that are correct and on the books in dealing with crimminals. Terrorists are nothing special, they are crimminals and to treat them any other way falls right into line with what they want.

Franklin said it best when he warned the Congress that they had better beware of what rights and freedoms they were willing to give up to ensure security, or they would awaken and find that they had no rights or security.

A great American Dick Cheney, more than willing to send our soldiers off to war, after all he had six draft deferments, because he had more important things to do than defend our nation. Impeach Cheney.

Liam, Norfolk, VA   January 24th, 2008 9:01 am ET

Mr. Cheney missed his calling by being born too late. Had he been born around 1898 he could have found a good job in Germany with Hitler.

Debbie   January 24th, 2008 9:01 am ET

Yes we know its all lies, but remember these "criminals" have been very successfull at the "fear" game, makes you really wonder what all that "surveillance" has provided as "insurance" that the congress and house will put up very little fuss if any to give these "Con Men" whatever they want.

RB, from the bay state   January 24th, 2008 8:23 am ET

The only one that needs close watching is Cheney.

Do they allow cameras in the Hague?

marty   January 24th, 2008 6:44 am ET

What next, "secret police" and people disappearing in the middle of the night?

C B   January 24th, 2008 3:48 am ET

If George Bush, Dick Cheney, and the telecoms have done nothing wrong, or are doing anything wrong, why do they need immunity?

robbs   January 24th, 2008 12:19 am ET

I am grateful for the diligence our government has put forward to protect us from further attacks. VP Cheney is doing his duty to help protect us – even those of you who don't appreciate it.

David in KC   January 23rd, 2008 11:43 pm ET

Dicki (CLEAR!) Cheney has no legitimacy regardless of his post as President. (Little George is the real VP) This man has betrayed the American people about the war on Iraq, about outing our own CIA personell (Can you imagine if Clinton had revealed a CIA operative's name!) about secret Soviet style gulags being run by US tax dollars and about spying on US citizens. His policies have wrecked US foreign relations, killed thousands of Americans, thousands more Iraqis and he created the biggest deficit in US history as we stare down at an approaching recession.
Mr Cheney, sit down and shut up. You should be in federal prison, not spewing more wrongheaded 'advice' we can no longer afford.

John Starnes Tampa Florida   January 23rd, 2008 10:56 pm ET

Since he contributed heavily to those 935 deliberate deceptions used to manipulate America into a war of choice for profit and empire, he has zero credibility for most Americans these days. How he sleeps at night or looks at himself in the mirror is unfathomable to me. Impeach him! Then on to trials for treason and war crimes.

mr.fair tax   January 23rd, 2008 10:44 pm ET

YOU PEOPLE ARE NUTS, LIVE UNDER THE TALIBAN AND CRY -OK

WHAT ABOUT YOUR KIDS? YOU ARE SAD LIBS.

YOU MUST FIGHT!!!!

David from Texas   January 23rd, 2008 10:32 pm ET

Can someone please send this lier to a retirement center in Wyoming? I haven't heard the old rat chewing lately, so I thought he had already left town.

GP Geneseo Il   January 23rd, 2008 9:47 pm ET

More garbage from Dick Cheney…..I don't believe a word he has to say….As far as I'm concerned he is a nothing…

Kim, Dallas, TX   January 23rd, 2008 9:29 pm ET

I wish this guy would just crawl back into the cave he hides in. Seems he won't be hurting any with a looming recession. He was unbelievably successful at helping Haliburton over these past seven years and he surely benefited too. If we can just keep these two nut jobs contained for the next year, we will be very lucky.

Henry Miller, Cary, NC   January 23rd, 2008 9:22 pm ET

Few people leave me sputtering in outrage, and rage, more than Dick Cheney. The man is an arrogant, paranoiac, authoritarian whose contempt for the people of this country, and for the U.S. Constitution, is complete and appalling. He's an arrant statist, very nearly a fascist, who apparently thinks that the citizens of the country should properly have no role other than to serve the State, and that there is no limit to the demands a State may properly impose upon individuals.

Hawk,Texas   January 23rd, 2008 9:03 pm ET

What we need protection from is Bush and Cheney. he has been in his bunker plotting.

Kristy Sanborn, Buckhorn, Mo.   January 23rd, 2008 8:31 pm ET

I don't get it, what part of the "Director of National Intelligence" doesn't anyone get?
National Intelligence, the Director explained according to this article that these changes helped close a gap. A gap in the National Intelligence community's ability to gather information. Information important to national security.
Thats not difficult to understand, we have our National Intelligence agency for a reason.
They work to keep us safe.
Does anyone not think that when they speak, the Whitehouse doesn't listen?
And follow through.
It shouldn't matter who is in the Whitehouse, when our National Intelligence speaks, they should listen.
When the Director of National Intelligence speaks of national security and what is needed, people should let them do their jobs and quit complaining.

Trollmaster   January 23rd, 2008 8:25 pm ET

Watch the Democrats roll over and cave in to the Bush admin's fear mongering once again.

Bandito   January 23rd, 2008 8:20 pm ET

I had forgotten about this specimen. This reminder made me throw up a little in my mouth

SQUIRRELY POSSUM   January 23rd, 2008 8:18 pm ET

This bile-ridden serpent just doesn't quit. He's a war criminal, that makes money at the cost of our dead. Satan has nothing on Cheney. What do we have to do to keep this unmitigated evil from returning, a stake through the heart? Or will November 4th do?

charlotte   January 23rd, 2008 6:56 pm ET

Let' all jump on this, coming from such a reputable source. How many lies this time, over 900 on wmds

D Mills Garland, Tx   January 23rd, 2008 6:54 pm ET

I don't have one ounce of faith in anything this man has to say. Any credibility which he may have had is now gone. He should keep his mouth shut and hope that he isn't impeached or worse tried for war crimes against humanity.

adams   January 23rd, 2008 6:39 pm ET

Could someone please ask The V.P. to take a stroll to a local Barnes and Nobel and buy a book called the U.S. Constitution. In that book he will find, our for -fathers clearly state that it is a violation of our national laws to search with out cause.

Did'nt this guy take an oath to up hold the laws of the Constitution?

Sue, Michigan   January 23rd, 2008 6:24 pm ET

Center for Public Integrity releases a report documenting the hundreds of lies told by this administration, and there's no one word on CNN, but lots of Clinton and Obama bashing, and a report of Edwards' hair. No wonder we're in so much trouble!

IMPEACH!!!

Brian G   January 23rd, 2008 5:57 pm ET

Let's waterboard the VP to find out how many lies he's told anbd crimes he has commtitted.

titleman   January 23rd, 2008 5:51 pm ET

Mr. Conan should know all about freedom, he has been around no doubt, particularly to China y Russia… or is it just the National Geographic documentaries & Fox

Nik T, Houston, TX   January 23rd, 2008 5:45 pm ET

They need to send this man to jail along with Bush. I hope that once this farse of a gov't is over that this decrepit criminal known as Cheney pays for his actions. Everything he says is slime, violent and anticonsitutional. Get rid of him!

John K   January 23rd, 2008 5:11 pm ET

Interesting point on why the telecommunications companies shared the information in the first place. Normally I don't suppose they would ever risk violating the privacy of so many of their customers. Unfortunately for us, 2.6 million federal employees need phone service. And when your biggest customer asks you to do some spying, you listen.

Eric   January 23rd, 2008 5:09 pm ET

What defines a "suspected terrorist" I would rather be protected from the governing body then a from a "terrorist." Let us not give up freedom in the name of safety or we may find our selves with none.

Farrell, Houston, Tx   January 23rd, 2008 5:06 pm ET

In the past Cheney and Bush never asked permission to conduct these warrantless survellances, they just did them. Is the one they are using now legal?

Conan   January 23rd, 2008 5:01 pm ET

You just knew this story would bring the nut jobs out of the woodworks. Please go read history about the Nazis and Soviets to see what a Big Brother state truly is before you guys spout out your ignorance. Just look at present day Russia and China for a real live example.

Deb   January 23rd, 2008 5:01 pm ET

This dude is still walking around free ?

khoa, san francisco, ca   January 23rd, 2008 4:58 pm ET

cheney (and his vice president bush) are so irrelevant nowadays anyway that i doubt this message will matter much. the only disconcerting thing is why cnn cares enough to broadcast him.

Mike, Cleveland, OH   January 23rd, 2008 4:50 pm ET

The more I think about it, the Darth Vader nickname really is appropriate for Cheney. All he does any more is to try to instill fear in the American Public. What a Jerk

Lou   January 23rd, 2008 4:47 pm ET

Can't wait for our stalwart guardians of our liberties (what we used to call the press) asks those seeking the highest office what they think of president cheney's comments.

Bill, Albany, NY   January 23rd, 2008 4:45 pm ET

No business deserves government protection, I belive in free market. If a company pisses off its customers than they must face them not beg congress like children to protect them.

Gorbashov, Long Beach, Ca.   January 23rd, 2008 4:39 pm ET

A yes, it's the 'politics of fear' once again. Been there done that! 'Shooter' is about as credible as Flip Romney's stance on abortion…………….this week!

The Federal Gov't. already had the powers to protect us prior to 9/11, but they simply didn't communicate the information they had. There was no reason to go 'Big Brother' on us and to start shredding the Constitution for their own political purposes. Shame on these fascists!

Oh and by all means. don't forget to let our corporate overlords off the hook for trampling our civil liberties! Pathetic priorities!

How does anyone take these deceitful neo-cons seriously?

GRANT, EVERETT   January 23rd, 2008 4:31 pm ET

War criminal, send him to the Hague.

Daniel Kane   January 23rd, 2008 4:28 pm ET

The political pornography never stops. This guy needs to be impeached, he's the face of evil.

Dave   January 23rd, 2008 4:25 pm ET

this madman just kills me. he wants to contimue to destroy the Constitution. we can't get rid of him soon enough.

Steve, Huntington Beach CA   January 23rd, 2008 4:21 pm ET

What a surprise. Aren't we all glad that the white house has been fighting for the American value of FREEDOM for the last 7 years?

Becky   January 23rd, 2008 4:18 pm ET

After watching Cheney's Law on Public Television he should be in jail not asking lawmakers to give him free reign again!!!!

Todd C.   January 23rd, 2008 4:17 pm ET

oh yeah, I forgot Dick Cheney was the Vice President!!

When did he wake up??

Gardner Waterberry   January 23rd, 2008 4:16 pm ET

Does dick cheney have any credibility left? There is a story out today about how many times the bush administration lied in the lead up to the Iraq War — literally hundreds of times. Now, why in the world should we believe cheney? He has not uttered anything rational and truthful in nearly 8 years. This administration needs to be censured — actually, bush and cheney need to be impeached. Remember: it wasn't American citizens that caused 9/11, so why does the government have to spy on us???

Darren   January 23rd, 2008 4:11 pm ET

The country refuses to secure itself, get control of immigration, wants to give drivers licenses to illegals, has info that terrorists have already crossed our border, makes me take my shoes off at the airport…. Cheney's solution is to give agencies that refuse to work together access to more info. I really like the new proposal to prevent an cybernet attack by sweeping all internet searches and e-mails. That little tidbit warms the cockles of my heart. By the way, immunity for companies that have broken the law makes me feel safer already. Whew! That's a loud off my mind.

Anyone want to bet the Dems will cave again?

demwit   January 23rd, 2008 4:11 pm ET

This is America. Terrorists should feel free to plan and execute their violent actions anywhere, anytime..

another_turrist   January 23rd, 2008 4:10 pm ET

A "day of reckoning" he's already planned?

AS   January 23rd, 2008 4:10 pm ET

Keep yer filthy oil-stained hands off my Constitution. Go work for Putin, you can spy on whomever you want then.

Tom Masters   January 23rd, 2008 4:10 pm ET

We SHOULD have this surveillance.

What is everyone so afraid of?!

Jim, Burlington   January 23rd, 2008 4:07 pm ET

Seems the the Dick and Bush frat boy party isn't above one last raping of the constitution.

Were was this concern for security when you bozo's chose to ignore the briefing on Osama' plan to crash aircraft into US buildings.

And for all you koolaide drinkers – yeah we know there hasn't been any attacks since 9/11 – but Clinton went 8 years and out after the first Twin Towers attack and he caught the purp within 6 months…

Mike   January 23rd, 2008 3:59 pm ET

Right out of the worse fascist playbook. Use fear and intimidation to remove civil liberties and through protection of companies allow them to abide by the government's iron grip on information, privacy and communication.

Sometimes I think Dick Cheney had the grandfather who was a Nazi supporter, not President Bush, because Dick is learning well from what the Germans used in 1933 and the Soviets used in 1917.

JAB   January 23rd, 2008 3:45 pm ET

Who cares what Dick Cheney thinks or says? I mean, we can really believe him can't we? How many more days – about 362? Can't wait for that day!

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