Hurricane Aid Tied To Federal Budget Cuts
MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – South Florida still hasn't passed the peak of hurricane season, but if a major hurricane does hit the state, aid from the federal government may not come fast.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is reportedly running out of money and will face House Republicans reluctant to make any spending additions to the budget.
It's part of the funding disputes that drove the country over the edge during the debt limit debates.
The point was illustrated by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's (R-Va.) words on Monday.
"Yes, we're going to find the money," Cantor said, according to the Washington Post. "We're just going to need to make sure that there are savings elsewhere to continue to do so."
Democrats pounced on the remark saying that Cantor and other Republicans will "hold federal aid hostage unless he gets to slash the budget," according to the Post.
Between Cantor's words and the ongoing partisan gridlock in Washington leaves the Sunshine State in a very precarious position if a hurricane hits the state. A new disaster will put FEMA in a bind on whether to pay out more for the current disaster at the hands of the last disaster, or not fund both disasters, or suffer painful cuts elsewhere in the budget.
