McCarthy suggests Congress may probe federal Maui response.
Congressional Investigation Likely into Federal Response to Maui Wildfires
U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced on Wednesday that there will likely be a Congressional investigation into the federal reaction to the devastating wildfires in Maui, Hawaii. These wildfires have tragically claimed the lives of over 100 individuals.
“We saw the devastation that happened in Maui,” McCarthy expressed his concern. “I’m very concerned about the response. We still have hundreds of individuals that are missing.”
“I think there’s going to have to be a congressional investigation into the response of what happens,” Mr. McCarthy said at a briefing in Syracuse, New York.
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The deadly fires broke out on Aug. 8, just a few days after the National Weather Service warned that winds from Hurricane Dora, combined with drought, were likely to produce conditions conducive to wildfires.
The ensuing inferno leveled the historic resort town of Lahaina. According to the County of Maui’s update on Aug. 23, confirmed fatalities rose to 115, making it the nation’s deadliest wildfire in more than a century.
While the exact number of missing individuals is unclear, reports suggest that over 1,000 remain unaccounted for in the wake of the disaster.
“How could we lose that many Americans in today’s age?” Mr. McCarthy questioned.
“The federal response seems very delayed. The president’s response–had no comment–that’s unacceptable,” he said. “So I am going to work with committees to look at investigating what went on so that never happens again.”
President Joe Biden, who is seeking re-election in 2024, faced criticism for his initial response to the devastating wildfires. The criticism intensified after the president told reporters that he had “no comment” on the rising death tolls in Hawaii while he was vacationing in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
“To say ‘no comment’ is oftentimes fine, but to be smiling when you say it, especially against such a tragedy as this, is absolutely horrible and unacceptable,” former President Donald Trump, a front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, said in a video message on Aug. 14.
Federal Response
The White House has previously stated that the president acted quickly and maintained close communication with the governor and other emergency officials as the crisis unfolded.
“I want to once again say, as the president said last week, that he and the First Lady are praying for families who are grieving their loved ones and for everyone who has suffered devastating losses of land and property as a result of the wildfires in Maui,” Ms. Jean-Pierre, White House spokesperson, told reporters on Aug. 14.
“The president continues to stay closely engaged with his team and state and local officials to ensure a robust, whole-of-government response continues,” she added.
When asked about the president’s visibility during the crisis, Ms. Jean-Pierre did not directly respond. However, she mentioned that the president has been in contact with the White House pool reporters and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief, Deanne Criswell.
“You all have gotten pool reports on who the president has connected with,” Ms. Jean-Pierre said.
“The [FEMA] Administrator was there for two whole days—two whole days on the ground, by the President’s request, to make sure that the government has what they have—the local government has what they have, the people of Maui have what they have. And that’s what you’re going to see,” she continued.
“When you talk about a dozen agencies on the ground, helping and assisting more than … hundreds of FEMA personnel, that’s what matters.”
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