The recent decision to end former Vice President Kamala Harris’ Secret Service protection has reignited debate over how long former vice presidents should remain protected, which by law lasts six months under the Former Vice Presidents Protection Act of 2008 [1] — and whether the threat landscape has really changed since the September 11 attacks.
Of course, debate about this discontinuance raged and took on a political tone, often not grounded in the history or laws governing protection of the Vice President.
| RELATED: Read more 9/11 coverage on Police1
Early history of vice presidential protection
The Secret Service began formally protecting the President of the United States in 1901, after the assassination of President William McKinley, the third president to die by an assassin’s bullet.
The Vice President though, was left unprotected until 1951 when another assassination attempt, this time of President Truman, forced Congress to pass Public Law 82-79, which permanently authorized Secret Service protection of the president, his immediate family, the president-elect, and the vice president at his request.
In 1962, the Secret Service timeline shows that Congress expanded the agency’s mission to include protection of the Vice President while in office. [2] At that point, protection ceased immediately upon leaving office, as was the standard practice until the events of the 2000 Presidential election and terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 changed that.
How 9/11 reshaped Secret Service protection for vice presidents
All Secret Service protection is threat based [3] and Vice Presidents traditionally had a lower threat portfolio than the President. They were often more low profile and didn’t engender the same level of media coverage while in office.
The tumult of the 2000 election changed that and fed an enhanced threat narrative that impacted both candidates. Former VP Al Gore and former President George Bush both were vilified for the election outcome by almost half of America.
President-elect Bush, once in office, recognized this and extended Secret Service protection for former VP Gore and his wife at the time, Tipper Gore, via Executive Order for an additional six months. [4] Historically, this was the first time that protection was extended to a former Vice President leaving office.
Then on September 11, 2001, the terrorist attack against the United States rapidly changed the threat dynamic in the world as Secret Service personnel evacuated President Bush in Florida, relocated VP Cheney to the White House bunker, enacted our nation’s contingency government operations plan and in New York City, responded to the attack that impacted their building at 7 World Trade Center and caused the death of Master Special Officer Craig Miller. Overnight, Secret Service protection increased, with protectees expanding from 18 to 29. [5]
Vice President Cheney and the rise of post-9/11 threats
VP Cheney and his entire family were already traditional protectees. While in office, he and President Bush were the targets of repeated death threats from Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Many security experts believe that Flight 77, which struck the Pentagon, or Flight 93, which passengers forced down in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, may have been intended for the White House and President Bush. [6]
Through the eight years of the Bush presidency, which included the war on terror and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, those threats never ceased and only escalated. This allowed policymakers, including members of Congress, time to think, as they realized that the day Vice President Cheney left office — a Vice President with verified terrorist threats against him — he would lose Secret Service protection.
Former VP Cheney, who was high on the terrorist target list, had an initial Presidential-approved six months of protection which was extended, upon his request, to an additional six months due to the threats. [7] Once the year ended, his Secret Service protection did as well and Cheney hired his own private security.
Modern debates over protection for former vice presidents
In 2008 Congress then passed the “Former Vice President Protection Act of 2008,” which authorized Secret Service protection for former Vice Presidents, their spouses and their children less than 16 years of age for up to six months after the Vice President’s term in office has ended. [1]
Of course, the law did not stop the President from being able to authorize Secret Service protection by Executive Order which occurred for former VP Harris. Former President Biden’s Executive Order extended her protection to 18 months, well beyond the statutory six months. [8]
President Trump rescinded that protection, which according to the Secret Service was due to “a recent threat intelligence assessment … found no red flags or credible evidence of a threat to the former vice president.” [9]
More than two decades after the September 11 attacks, the world remains unpredictable and dangerous. As threat landscapes evolve, it is critical that federal protection decisions remain grounded in intelligence and mission priorities with the Secret Service focused on its statutory missions. When federal agencies are stretched too thin, everyone’s security suffers.
Tactical takeaway
Protection decisions for former vice presidents remain fluid, but history shows post-9/11 threats elevated the role permanently — agencies must align resources with real intelligence to avoid gaps.
How can agencies best balance limited resources with evolving threat landscapes? Share below.
References
- U.S. Congress. Former Vice Presidents Protection Act of 2008.
- U.S. Secret Service. History Timeline.
- ABC News. Protecting U.S. government leaders: A security analysis.
- Congressional report on Secret Service extensions for Gore. Presidential authority to extend protection.
- Washington Post. Critical decisions after 9/11 led to steady decline in quality for Secret Service.
- 9/11 Commission Report. Flight 77 and Flight 93 potential targets.
- CBS News. Cheney’s Secret Service protection extended.
- CBS News. Biden extended Harris’ Secret Service protection.
- Reuters. Trump ends Secret Service protection for former Vice President Harris.
