'Serious questions': U.S. House to probe Biden's response to Maui fires
(Photo by Joe Kovacs)
By Nick Pope
Daily Caller News Foundation
House Republicans will investigate the federal response to the Maui fires that have killed at least 115 people, the Daily Caller News Foundation has confirmed.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee will conduct an inquiry into the Biden administration’s response to the Maui fires, which began on Aug. 8 and completely devastated the town of Lahaina. The federal response to the calamity has drawn intense scrutiny from locals and the media, who have slammed President Joe Biden’s response.
“The response by federal, state, and local officials to the catastrophic wildfire in Maui raises serious questions and Americans, especially those impacted by this tragedy, deserve answers,” House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer told the DCNF. “As recovery efforts continue, the House Oversight Committee has a responsibility to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently and effectively,” he continued adding that “to minimize the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars, the Oversight Committee will examine the federal government’s response in Maui and work with other committees of jurisdiction to ensure accountability.”
WATCH
Maui has a not-so-warm welcome for President Biden
“Here he comes after 13 days…”
“Thanks for nothing…f*ck you!” pic.twitter.com/8lNMWJH9kh
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 22, 2023
Numerous Maui locals ripped the federal government for responding slowly and failing to provide immediate relief to the devastated community. The government apparently did not provide enough portable power generators or other services, which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said is attributable to its ranks being spread too thin.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre and Vice President Kamala Harris have each suggested that affected locals should make use of online resources, but many residents on the ground did not have access to the internet or cellular service at the time of those recommendations.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy first publicly indicated that House Republicans would probe the Biden administration’s response to the crisis on Wednesday while taking questions from reporters after an event in Syracuse, New York. McCarthy plans to visit the scene of the disaster himself sometime this week, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday.
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The White House did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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