Cantor says disaster aid must be offset

WASHINGTON, May 29 (UPI) -- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor assured the people of Joplin, Mo., Sunday that Congress will help them recover, but said the funds must be offset elsewhere.

Speaking on CBS's "Face the Nation," Cantor, R-Va., said: "If when a family is struck with tragedy like the family of Joplin … if they had $10,000 set aside … to buy a new car … and then they were struck with a sick member of the family … and needed to take that money to apply it to that, that's what they would do because families don't have unlimited money. And really, neither does the federal government."

Joplin was devastated by an EF-5 tornado a week ago and 100 people remained missing Sunday.

Cantor also said House Republicans "absolutely" stand by the Medicare plan of Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., despite losing a special election in New York last week.

He said the proposal "reforms the program to ensure it's still there. And it is much like what most people have with their employer plans. ... It's an attempt to try and personalize the Medicare program to allow seniors to choose."

Cantor also said his meetings with Vice President Joe Biden on the debt ceiling have been "all positive" and "we can accomplish well over $1 trillion in cuts."