51.  The vulnerable Cabinet departments have proven more durable than expected.

52.  There is no listing of individual spending plans for each Cabinet department, such as the Defense Department.

53.  Together they total hundreds of billions of dollars and would fund seven Cabinet departments.

54.  Tom Ridge, the Homeland Security director, is operating without the clout of a Cabinet department behind him.

55.  We get the biggest bang for the buck of any cabinet department.

56.  When Republicans took over Congress last year, for instance, high on their agenda of downsizing government was the elimination of four Cabinet departments.

57.  While many in Congress say Ridge needs more power and an independent agency, he insisted that his responsibilities were too diffuse to be put in one Cabinet department.

58.  Without the stipend, various Cabinet departments and offices ranging from NASA to the EPA, would have had to shut their doors beginning Saturday.

59.  Without the money, the Cabinet departments and other offices, from NASA to the Environmental Protection Agency, would have had to shut their doors beginning Saturday.

60.  All Cabinet departments and other major federal agencies have an independent watchdog office of inspector general, responsible for guarding against waste, fraud and abuse.