The House today passed a bill where Ex-Presidents and their spouses will get lifetime Secret Service protection detail. Originally that was a perk of office, but in '94 Congress passed a law giving them protection for only 10 years after leaving office in part to save money. The bill supporters claim the War on Terror, and Dubya/Obama are relatively young when they left or will leave office, demanded this reform.
Did it really? Ex-Presidents have lucrative post-office careers from book deals to speaking fees to investments. Surely they can afford their own bodyguards?
