11.   In California, lawmakers are debating whether to give counties and other localities much of the authority to administer welfare programs.

12.   Instead, lawmakers are debating what constitutes work and how much support Washington should give ex-recipients in areas such as child-care so they can keep working.

13.   Lawmakers debate the merits of legislation that would compensate landowners if environmental laws cause their land to lose a portion of its value.

14.   Lawmakers debate whether the government should include ethnicity or nationality as part of its profiling system.

15.   Lawmakers have debated whether to impose restrictions on the use of computer networks.

16.   Last year, at the height of the disclosures of fund-raising abuses, the speaker of the House promised to let lawmakers debate and vote on various reforms.

17.   Lawmakers debated amendments to the complex bill into the night as they scrambled to finish their business before departing Friday on an August recess.

18.   Peggy Borchert, a Fort Worth mother, paid little attention two years ago when lawmakers were debating a pilot voucher program.

19.   The battle continued Tuesday in the Senate, where lawmakers debated whether to block visas for Chinese officials who engage in religious persecution or promote forced abortions.

20.   The Senate is scheduled to vote Tuesday morning on what amendments will be allowed, which will allow lawmakers to debate the merits of the bill.