GOP lawmakers question autopen signing

WASHINGTON, June 17 (UPI) -- Several Republican members of Congress said Friday the autopen signing of the U.S. Patriot Act might not be legal and suggested President Obama do it over.

The group, headed by Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ga., sent Obama a letter suggesting the practice, which President George W. Bush's Office of Legal Counsel determined to be legal, could lead to the law being questioned.

"On May 27, 2011, Congressman Tom Graves wrote you to request an explanation for your Constitutional authority to assign a surrogate the responsibility of signing bills passed by Congress into law," the letter said. "As of today, Congressman Graves has yet to receive a response from the White House."

Obama did not sign the bill in person because he was in France when it received congressional approval. The original Patriot Act was scheduled to expire within hours.