Endangered Government Cutters

Last fall the 28 House Republican freshmen who nicknamed themselves "the New Federalists" were urging their colleagues to ax Cabinet departments and balance the federal budget. A year later, a third of them are struggling.

Several made The Washington Post's recent list of "GOP Frosh in Danger," among them: Charles F. Bass of New Hampshire; Helen Chenoweth of Idaho; Dick Chrysler of Michigan; John Ensign of Nevada; Mark W. Neumann of Wisconsin; Linda A. Smith of Washington; Steve Stockman of Texas; and Todd Tiarht of Kansas.