In most instances, lawmakers report incidents to the United States Capitol Police's threat assessment division, which refers some to the F.B.I. for further investigation.
But in other instances, lawmakers have given on their own after learning, through news accounts or from fellow lawmakers, about the tough re-election fight Mr. Rangel faces in his Upper Manhattan district.
For instance, lawmakers passed $170 million in spending on their own pet projects, and $30 million for the governor's.
For instance, lawmakers from both parties had promised to overhaul Medicaid to ease the cost burden on cities and towns.
After the 2008 financial crisis, for instance, lawmakers and even some judges questioned whether government fines amounted to a rounding error for the nation's biggest banks.
Recently, for instance, lawmakers approved a plan by the Democratic Party to halt a costly public works contract for a bridge over the Strait of Messina, which divides Sicily from the mainland.
In South Carolina, for instance, lawmakers passed their version of Arizona's draconian bill, and have mandated that employers use an e-verify system to check the immigration status of employees.
For instance, lawmakers are paid about $140,000 a year but are permitted to hold outside jobs, with the proviso that they recuse themselves from official action if their involvement presents a conflict of interest concerning their private employment.
For instance, lawmakers have barred the administration from transferring any detainee without the Pentagon certifying that, among other requirements, the receiving country is not "facing a threat that is likely to substantially affect its ability to exercise control over the individual".
In the Senate, for instance, lawmakers offered more than 40 amendments during a marathon, 15-hour voting session on the budget resolution (dubbed a vote-a-rama by Washington insiders).
In some instances, the lawmakers have intervened with federal agencies or taken up legislation on donors' behalf.
