RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 31 (UPI) -- House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., seemed Wednesday to soften his insistence that Hurricane Irene disaster aid be offset by cuts in other spending.
Cantor had told Fox News Channel this week the federal government would "find the money if there is a need for additional money but those monies are not unlimited," and it would be necessary to "find other places to save so that we can fund the role the federal government needs to play."
Speaking Wednesday with reporters in his Virginia district, Cantor repeated his assurance that disaster relief will provided but did not say whether congressional Republicans will insist on offsetting spending cuts, the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch reported.
"I believe there's an appropriate federal role, and the monies will be there," Cantor said.
Following Cantor's previous comments, Rep. David Price of North Carolina, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee, suggested insisting on offsetting spending cuts to pay for disaster relief amounted to "budget politics."
Cantor said Wednesday the controversy was "an attempt to try and make a political story out of it."
Irene, which has been blamed for at least 43 deaths, is likely to be one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history, analysts say. Insurance company officials say the cost could amount to $7 billion to $10 billion.
