It is often said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. In the aftermath of the devastating Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, the roadwork has been going into overtime.

The Patriot Act was passed six weeks after September 11, in such haste that some provisions were subject to 'sunset.' That means they'll expire at the end of this year unless Congress restores them.

Amid continued concerns about civil-liberties safeguards, the House votes for a five-week extension of the Patriot Act — shorter than the six months approved by the Senate. Now the measure goes back ...

2003-09-25 04:00:00 PDT Washington-- Several Bay Area Democrats moved Wednesday to repeal some provisions of the USA Patriot Act, which Congress passed overwhelmingly soon after the Sept. 11, 2001, ...