and this boat, no match for the rough waves slamming into the mississippi overnight, despite efforts to wrangle the boat here, it was a lost cause, ta digging a huge hole in the hull and capsizing, you are in the cnn newsroom, i m susan hendricks. this massive storm is stalled just off the coast of the new orleans. it promptses to bring high winds, heavy rains and flooding. the governors have declared states of emergency. already power has been knocked out to thousands in the southern part of mississippi, the mayor of new orleans held a news conference a short time ago warning residents not to be complacent. we expect stormy conditions for the next 36 hours, so please do not be lulled into sleep by the breaks in rain. we have to stay alettrt. as all of us who have been through this know, it s not how much we get, but it s how much we get in a short period of time and should that come with unexpected rain bands, we can expect to get what we got last night, which was some flo
its recovery efforts along the eastern seaboard. how can that be? reporter: some democrats are accusing eric cantor of a double standard west comes to disaster aid. some point out when tropical storm gaston slammed onshore, he was unwilling to release additional aid. but now he says they will have offsetting costs. we ll find additional money if there is a need for additional money. by those monies are not unlimited. we offset that which has already been funded. the house of representatives passed a bill already and sent it over to the senate in which there is over a billion dollars in disaster relief money that is paid for.
disaster. it finds the money it needs to take care of a sick loved one and what have you and goes without trying to buy a new car or put an addition on the house. that s the situation we re finding ourselves in. at the federal level for sure. in instances like this, yes, there is a federal role. yes, we ll find the money. we re just going to need to make sure that there are savings elsewhere to continue to do so. eric: so, turn it over to you, bob. eric cantor looking for a little fiscal responsibility. not saying that people aren t going to be helped out those in need. just pay for it somehow. bob: buy another car, put an adeposition on your house? where is this boy coming from? what we d do is take his district and take the federal money out of it. use that. what a warm-hearted man he is, isn t he? fema is low on money but it always is this time of the year. other agencies and department of the government have disaster relief money like h.u.d. for housing there is more money arou
the goal is respond to the disasters and maintain reserves for new disasters until we get to the next fiscal year. the house acted and funded $1 billion for additional disaster relief money. that money has been offset by savings elsewhere. shannon: so can t can t can t siz they have done their job. but lays this at the feet of the senate if there is not money there. in the big debate, fundamental debate we ll have about the role of government and how bloated government is and where we should cut it back. fema with the exception of ron paul is a basic function of government. most conservatives would say the federal government should have coordinating responsibility for disasters. as eric cantor saide, he is not slashing fema. he just wants to offset it with cuts elsewhere. in general, fema got good reviews. memory of katrina is sered in the memory of every politician
by spending cuts before any funding is approved. you believe that any federal money that comes out for hurricane irene needs to be met dollar for dollar with spending cuts? is that right? well, yeah, and the house has already acted and funded over $1 billion for additional disaster relief money. that money has been offset by savings elsewhere. again, just like any family would operate when it s struck with disaster. unfortunately, the government continues to borrow money, and to spend money it doesn t have. as you know, over the last seven months, we ve been trying to address that situation, so we can turn the economy around. but in instances like this, yes, there s a federal role. yes, we re going to find the money. we re just going need to make sure that there are savings elsewhere to continue to do so. cantor referred to a disaster relief bill for $1 billion that was passed in june. it was offset by cutting a loan