‘There Is Oversight. We’re Talking to Congress All the Time’

As president and commander in chief, I have the constitutional responsibility and the constitutional authority to protect our country. Article II of the Constitution gives me that responsibility and the authority necessary to fulfill it....

We know that a two-minute phone conversation between somebody linked to Al Qaeda here and an operative overseas could lead directly to the loss of thousands of lives. To save American lives, we must be able to act fast and to detect these conversations so we can prevent new attacks.

So, consistent with U.S. law and the Constitution, I authorized the interception of international communications of people with known links to Al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations....

I’ve reauthorized this program more than 30 times since the Sept. 11 attacks, and I intend to do so for as long as the nation faces the continuing threat of an enemy that wants to kill American citizens....

The terrorists want to strike America again. And they hope to inflict even greater damage than they did on Sept. 11. Congress has a responsibility to give our law enforcement and intelligence officials the tools they need to protect the American people.

The senators who are filibustering the Patriot Act must stop their delaying tactics, and the Senate must vote to reauthorize the Patriot Act.

In the war on terror, we cannot afford to be without this law for a single moment.

Question: Are you going to order a leak investigation into the disclosure of the [National Security Agency’s] surveillance program? And why did you skip the basic safeguard of asking courts for permission for these intercepts?

Bush: There’s a process that goes on inside the Justice Department about leaks, and I presume that process is moving forward.

My personal opinion is it was a shameful act for someone to disclose this very important program in a time of war.

The fact that we’re discussing this program is helping the enemy....

We’re at war. And we must protect America’s secrets. And so, the Justice Department, I presume, will proceed forward with a full investigation. I haven’t ordered one....

I swore to uphold the laws. Do I have the legal authority to do this? The answer is absolutely.

Q.: Democrats have said that you have acted beyond the law and that you’ve even broken the law. There are some Republicans who are calling for congressional hearings and even an independent investigation. Are you willing to go before members of Congress and explain this eavesdropping program?

Bush: We have briefed the United States Congress on this program a dozen times.

And it’s important for them to be brought into this process.

Again, I repeat, I understand people’s concerns. But I also want to assure the American people that I am doing what you expect me to do, which is to safeguard civil liberties and at the same time protect the United States of America.

Q.: I wonder if you can tell us today, sir, what, if any, limits you believe there are or should be on the powers of a president during wartime. And if the global war on terror is going to last for decades, as has been forecast, does that mean that we’re going to see, therefore, a more or less permanent expansion of the unchecked power of the executive in American society?

Bush: First of all, I disagree with your assertion of unchecked power. There is the check of people being sworn to uphold the law, for starters.

There is oversight. We’re talking to Congress all the time.... This is an awesome responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the American people. And I understand that. And we’ll continue to work with the Congress, as well as people within our own administration, to constantly monitor a program such as the one I described to you to make sure that we’re protecting the civil liberties of the United States.

To say “unchecked power” basically is ascribing some kind of dictatorial position to the president, which I strongly reject.