There is a simple reason

Since it's probable that you don't waste your free NY Times hits on reading Paul Krugman's blog (he posts way too often), I'm going to share this brilliant precis of Eric Cantor/the GOP's position re the cuts quid pro quo for hurricane relief, as laid out by one of his commenters:

There is a simple reason Cantor wants disaster relief offset by cuts elsewhere.

That's because, while the disaster may be temporary, the cuts will be permanent.

They will be permanent because the GOP will never go along with any future tax increase to cover those cuts or any other cuts as long as they pledge allegiance to Grover Norquist.

So, in effect, a natural disaster is a dream come true for Cantor and his GOP. And the more natural disasters, the better.

The party that blames the sins of Americans for natural disasters is actually praying for those same disasters.

And that's it in a nutshell.

ps - another commenter tackled the "not letting your teen go to the prom till he does his chores" analogy by saying

The correct analogy for Cantor's position would be refusing to take your teenager to the ER to have his broken leg set until he does his chores.

Oh, snap.

And so true.