[JURIST] AP is reporting that the US House of Representatives has passed a one-month extension of the Patriot Act [JURIST news archive], significantly less than the six-month extension [JURIST report] approved by the Senate Wednesday night.

4:32 PM ET – House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) objected to the six-month extension, and the one-month holdover good until February 3, 2006 was approved by voice vote in a nearly-empty chamber to avoid sixteen key provisions of the Act [US DOJ report, PDF] from expiring altogether at year's end. The House extension now goes back to the Senate, which is expected to vote approval Thursday evening. AP has more.