Capping a week of political bickering and parliamentary delays, the House joined the Senate on Thursday to approve a four-year extension of key provisions of the Patriot Act that are set to expire at midnight.

Because President Barack Obama is traveling in Europe, a White House official said the bill will quickly be signed into law using an autopen, a machine that replicates the president’s signature
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Former president John F. Kennedy was the first president and popular celebrity to use the autopen machine on a regular daily basis. A pattern or template is made from a sample of the celebrity's signature at the Autopen company. After the template is installed and the photo, letter or document is placed under the machine's arm, the motor is turned on and the pen moves to re-create the signature. Hundreds of signatures per hour can be produced with this machine, usually by a secretary or assistant.!³7