THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, May 27, 1995 TAG: 9505270397
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
Virginia Sen. Charles S. Robb was one of only three Democrats to break ranks Thursday as the Senate passed a Republican blueprint to balance the federal budget by 2002, but Robb said Friday that he is concerned that many of his GOP colleagues will bolt on specific spending cuts.
``There's going to be some shaky knees, I suspect,'' particularly in the last few years of the seven-year plan, Robb told reporters. The GOP proposal delays the most severe spending reductions until the final two or three years.
Robb said the Senate's 57-43 vote ``sends the very significant message that deficit reduction is critical.'' But he said the vote is not binding and added that he continues to be concerned with the Republicans' refusal to consider tax increases along with spending cuts to bring the budget into balance.
Robb said he is also troubled by some of the specific cuts in the GOP proposal. His vote was intended as an endorsement of the Republicans' goal, not of the plan they laid out to achieve it, he added.
Along with Robb, Democratic Sens. Sam Nunn of Georgia and Bob Kerrey of Nebraska voted for the GOP plan. Robb said he also was part of a group of Democrats who developed their own budget plan, calling for even more spending cuts. Their proposal was voted down Thursday. by CNB