University of Virginia Library

Congressman Robinson Claims
Volunteer Military Expensive

By BUCK COLE

"An increase in our national
defense costs is inevitable, even
though we're getting out of
Vietnam," Seventh District
Rep J. Kenneth Robinson
claimed Saturday before the
Shadwell chapter of the
Daughters of the American
Revolution.

Because of the post-war
switch to an all-volunteer
military, the defense budget
calls for a $4.7 billion increase,
he pointed out. Specifically,
the budget needs $4.1 billion
earmarked for necessary pay
hikes to compete with private
enterprise for personnel.

Mr. Robinson favors no
return to the draft, yet he
believes the draft machinery
should be retained in case an
emergency occurs.

Mr. Robinson defended the
record high $81.1 billion
defense budget Friday at the
Charlottesville Republican
Washington-Lincoln Day
dinner.

Suggests Budget Trim

"Our country has always
felt the need to keep our
defense posture high. We're
still the leadership of the free
world, though we shouldn't be
the total leadership," he said.

Mr. Robinson suggested
however, that the Nixon
budget could be trimmed, but
not in defense spending. As the
budget stands, it accepts a
$12.7 billion deficit, and "will
increase the national budget by
almost $30 billion."

He endorsed President
Richard Nixon's call for a
spending limit on his proposed
budget but noted that the
President will "be lucky to get,
from a Democrat-controlled
Congress, anything close to the
spending limit he proposed."

Supports Funds Cut

Supporting Mr. Nixon's
slashing of funds to federal
social programs. Mr. Robinson
said that President does not
believe "that someone in the
Department of Health,
Education and Welfare should
tell citizens of Charlottesville
what their human concerns
are."

Mr. Robinson also supports
the revenue sharing proposal,
"though that too could have
been cut," because "the
people's needs should be
handled at the community
level," he asserted.

Mr. Robinson, a member of
the powerful House
Appropriations Committee, is
disturbed by the President's
threat to impound money
appropriated by Congress.