Trying to step up pressure on the Democratic-controlled Congress, Bush urged lawmakers to act quickly to approve a bill that would shield phone companies that cooperated with the warrantless surveillance program he secretly began after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush said on Thursday he was prepared to delay his Africa trip to stay in Washington to press Congress to pass new rules for his domestic spying program before it expires this weekend.
Trying to step up pressure on the Democratic-controlled Congress, Bush urged lawmakers to act quickly to approve a bill that would shield phone companies that cooperated with the warrantless surveillance program he secretly began after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
"My staff informed the House leadership that I am prepared to delay my departure and stay in Washington with them if it will help them complete their work on this critical bill," Bush, who was due to leave for Africa on Friday, told reporters.
He urged the House of Representatives to pass a White House-backed bill approved by the Senate on Tuesday, and insisted that a failure to act would jeopardize U.S. national security. The current legislation expires on Saturday.
!ADVERTISEMENT!"The delay (in the Africa trip) depends on whether the House acts, of course," Bush said.
He insisted, however, that even if he puts off his departure, he still plans to visit all five countries on his schedule -- Benin, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Liberia.
"There really is no excuse for letting this critical legislation expire," Bush said.
The House Democrats' chief objection to the Senate version of the bill, which covers domestic surveillance of terrorism suspects, is the retroactive immunity it would grant phone companies that have cooperated with the program in the past.
(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick, editing by Lori Santos)
