Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) on Monday night charged that today's Supreme Court decision calling for the release of thousands of prisoners in California will directly lead to rapes and assaults on California residents.

"You rarely say this, but I fear that there will be murders, there will rapes, there will be assaults, there will be unnamed and unnumbered crimes in my home state as a direct result of today's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court," Lungren said on the House floor. "Since when did they take over all of the three branches of government, becoming the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch?"

The Obama administration on Monday evening released an Executive Order that is meant to implement portions of the 1996 Iran Sanctions Act (ISA).

In a statement released by the White House that was partially read on the House floor, the administration said the order is meant to implement some ISA sanctions that depend on actions by the private sector. This includes prohibiting U.S. financial institutions from making loans or giving credit to sanctionable entities under ISA, engaging in certain foreign exchange transactions, and making payments between financial institutions that would help a sanctionable entity.

The House on Monday approved four non-controversial bills related to the treatment of veterans, with little debate.

By voice vote, the House approved H.R. 1407, which would increase the cost of living adjustment for veterans with service-related disabilities. This bill also extends the Veterans' Administration's ability to provide special housing assistance to veterans.

Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) on Monday evening turned up the pressure on the Obama administration to clarify the U.S. military mission in Libya.

Lugar sent a letter to Obama that insists the administration seek congressional approval for continued operations in Libya. Lugar's letter said the administration had informed Congress on Friday "indicating that U.S. military operations in Libya -- which since April 4 have included suppression and destruction of air defenses and precision strikes by unmanned aerial vehicles -- will continue beyond the 60 day deadline specified in the War Powers Resolution, even though Congress has not authorized these operations."

Procedural vote puts the legislation on track to pass the Senate Wednesday with a simple majority.

House Democrats on Monday warned that passage of a long-term Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in serious jeopardy this year because Republicans are insisting on a bill that cuts billions in FAA funding and includes language making it harder to form air and rail unions.

Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) issued this warning on the House floor in a brief debate over legislation to temporarily extend the FAA until June 30. That bill, H.R. 1893, passed the House by voice vote Monday afternoon and should be approved by the Senate this week.

Freshman Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) condemned the Patriot Act as unconstitutional Monday and urged his colleagues to oppose leadership from both parties and vote against its renewal.

"We were so frightened by 9/11 we readily gave up these freedoms and we said we would let the government look at our records," Paul said from the Senate floor.  "The Patriot Act takes away some of the protections provided by the Fourth Amendment. Do we really want to give up our liberties in exchange for more security?"

Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) bucked his party's leadership and called on his colleagues to vote down a bill that would renew provisions of the Patriot Act.

"Today we have an opportunity to do away with a law that tramples on Americans' constitutional rights," Tester said. "The Patriot Act flies in the face of the Fourth Amendment and it allows the government to hold secret proceedings even when the proceedings don't need to be held in secret." 

The Patriot Act renewal legislation, which will see a cloture vote in the Senate this week, would extend the ability of U.S. intelligence authorities to conduct roving wiretaps, gain access to business records and survey "lone-wolf" operators, authorities that expire at the end of this week.

The Senate majority leader harshly criticized Newt Gingrich for shifting his rhetoric on the House-passed Republican budget.