The White House is slated to request about $60 billion for cleanup efforts related to Hurricane Sandy. Congressional leaders said they believe the aid would have to be offset or paid for by finding alternative savings elsewhere in federal spending. The request comes at a time when lawmakers are still struggling to reach a budget-cutting agreement to avoid more than $600 billion in tax increases and spending cuts set to automatically begin next month. Last year, House Republicans threatened a government shutdown because legislation including aid to victims of Hurricane Irene and other natural disasters was not offset.