Cantor Receives Pushback Over Disaster Aid Stance

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney responded Tuesday to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) desire to see future assistance to communities impacted by Hurricane Irene balanced with other spending cuts.

“I wish that commitment to looking for offsets had been held by the House Majority Leader and others, say, during the previous administration when they ran up unprecedented bills and never paid for them,” Carney said during a gaggle on board a flight to Minneapolis, where the president will deliver a speech this afternoon addressed to American troops currently serving at war.

During an appearance on the Fox News Channel yesterday, Cantor noted that his state had been hit hard by Irene, as well as a 5.9 earthquake that originated from an area near Cantor’s district one week ago.

“This is the appropriate time and instance where there is a federal government role,” he said. “We will find the money if there is a need for additional money. But those monies are not unlimited and we have said we have to offset that which has already been funded.”