This plays into the stereotype of fiscal conservatives peddled by the left, that we all can't wait to throw Grandma off the cliff while we lunch with our rich pals and laugh about it. I think if they push it too far, it would be a big mistake:
In the wake of Hurricane Irene, FEMA is quickly running out of money. Specifically, FEMA's crucial “disaster-relief fund, used to reimburse local governments and individuals for the costs of cleanup and repairs, is running dangerously low.” Already payments for some projects are being delayed. Early estimates suggest that damage from Irene could exceed $10 billion.
Eric Cantor and the House GOP leadership appear to agree that more funds are needed, but won't help until President Obama and the Senate agree to more budget cuts. Yesterday on Fox News, Cantor made clear that he would not support any additional funding unless matched with “savings elsewhere.”
What cuts, specifically, does Eric Cantor want in exchange for disaster relief funds? On Fox, Cantor said he supported $1 billion in disaster relief funding as part of the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill, which contains massive cuts to FEMA and first responders.
Yes, the state of government debt is such that it is smart to offset any new spending in one area with cuts in another. But disaster relief is one of those areas of basic government competence that people expect, and the cost is certainly small in relation to government spending as a whole. This is one case where they should just let the money be spent, then argue later for offsetting cuts.
