Robb Says Democrats Must Rethink Spending

A rising young star within the Democratic Party, U.S. Sen. Charles S. Robb (D-Va.), last night laid out a vision for his party's future that broke with some recent Democratic stances but reaffirmed older party ideals.

In a speech at the Kennedy School of Government, Robb said his party needs to rethink the relevance of many current federal programs it once supported, in light of new fiscal realities created by two successive Republican administrations. Robb, a former governor believed by many to be a presidential hopeful, sounded some untraditional calls for heavy scrutiny of federal spending.

"I believe we need to take a hard look at the entire federal government, to retire programs that have achieved their original ends, and to subject the rest to more vigorous standards of performance," said Robb. "Our success will be measured not in dollars spent but in lives improved."

Such new thinking, Robb said, could put the Democrats back in the White House.

"To re-emerge as a presidential party...the Democrats have got to remind the American people what sets Democrats apart and how they differ from Republicans," said Robb, who is the current chair of the Democratic Leadership Council.

Robb suggested several specific reforms, including changes in the federal deposit insurance system, which was created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt '04. Robb said the government should lower the level of protection for individual bank accounts, and stop protecting multiple deposits by a single depositor.

"The point is not to abolish federal insurance altogether, but to rethink its purpose and scope in light of changed conditions," Robb said.

Robb also urged the government to cut back on federal student aid subsidies and defense spending, and suggested the government look into new ways of "raising revenues" in "as progressive a system as possible."

And in a pitch that was once reserved for "new federalist" Republicans, Robb called on the Democrats to advocate more power for state and local government.

"Responsibilities that were once entrusted to Washington may today be better managed by the states or by local government."

Robb said the front door was open for the Democrats, since his Republican counterparts have "run out of ideas for dealing with America's emerging problems."

A crowd of about 100 came to the Kennedy School's Arco Forum to see Robb, who was invited to speak by the Institute of Politics.