There has been much discussion about the recent vote (and votes expected next week) in the House on additional emergency spending tied to Hurricane Sandy, which presents an important opportunity for a national discussion about spending, debt, and the ways we choose to prioritize our spending. I support federal funding for emergency relief, when and where it is appropriate.  What I cannot support is federal funding that is off-budget and not paid for.

We are facing the same question any family or business must answer when it's faced with unexpected costs. The federal government should operate no differently, and in fact can no longer afford to act any differently. If emergencies like Sandy are a spending priority, then we have to be willing to cut spending on things that are not as big of a priority.

Last March, I joined fellow members of the Indiana Congressional delegation in signing a letter to the President requesting federal assistance for southern Indiana following the devastating tornadoes. That request applied to funds within the existing budget. In other words, we were supporting Gov. Daniels’ request for disaster funding that had already been budgeted and approved to be allocated in a certain way, and it did not require a supplemental spending bill.

Regarding last week’s emergency spending bill, which I voted against, the bill did not cut spending in order to pay for these additional, off-budget emergency expenses. Because the bill was not considered under regular order in the House, there was no opportunity for members to amend it to include “pay-fors” or other spending reforms.

A good starting point for identifying potential spending cuts to offset emergency costs is the “Wastebook” compiled by Sen. Tom Coburn’s office, which highlights nearly $19 billion in wasteful federal spending. (link: http://www.coburn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=3b872d11-b6b5-4f72-9a0f-f95c79c99b6f )

But beyond that, we’ve got to be more honest in the annual budgeting process about planning for the true costs of disasters. By making a more honest assessment during the annual budgeting process (based on, among other factors, annual historical averages of disaster costs), we can have the conversation about spending priorities and be prepared for emergencies when they arise.

Additionally, there are billions of dollars in the Senate’s emergency spending bill that are not for relief and repairs directly related to Sandy, but rather for future projects spread across several federal agencies. These types of requests do not belong in an emergency bill and should be handled through the normal budgeting process, where we can have a discussion about spending priorities. Of course, as a member of the House Budget Committee, I have worked with my friend Chairman Paul Ryan to pass responsible budgets each of the past two years, and we are preparing to do so again. The Senate, as of today, has not passed a budget in 1,350 days.