McCarthy: House Likely To Investigate Federal Maui Response

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) suggested that multiple Republican-led committees may soon initiate investigations into the federal response to the deadly Maui wildfires.

The devastating wildfires earlier this month killed more than 100 people and have left hundreds still unaccounted for, while causing billions of dollars in damage. There have been many questions about the government response to the tragedy, both at the local and federal level.

While touring a 5G manufacturing plant in Syracuse, New York, McCarthy expressed his concern about the failures that led to so many deaths in the wildfires.

“I’m very concerned about the response,” he told reporters, according to The Hill. “How could you lose that many Americans in today’s age? I’m going to be working with committees to investigate what went on so this never happens again.”

McCarthy went on to condemn President Joe Biden’s “unacceptable” response to reporters’ questions about the wildfires during his beach vacation earlier this month — where the president smirked and said he had “no comment” about the tragedy.

“The president’s response, ‘no comment,’ that’s unacceptable,” McCarthy said.

After a second outrage-prompting refusal to comment on the tragedy, the president and First Lady Jill Biden interrupted their second vacation this month to make a six-hour visit to Maui before heading back to vacation at the mansion of billionaire Democrat donor and climate activist Tom Steyer on Lake Tahoe. During his brief visit to Maui, Biden was criticized for cracking jokes, appearing to fall asleep during a memorial service and attempting to compare the wildfires to a small kitchen fire at his house.

Biden has vowed that the federal government will be there for Maui for “as long as it takes,” and has approved a federal disaster declaration for the Hawaiian island. The Biden administration has also deployed several hundred Federal Emergency Management Agency personnel to Maui, all of whom are staying at five-star hotels on the island using taxpayer dollars.

At least 115 people have been confirmed dead and another 850 are missing in connection to the wildfires as of Wednesday afternoon. The initial cause of the wildfires has not been determined as of yet, although a lawsuit has alleged that a spark from downed power lines operated by Hawaiian Electric caused dry grass to catch fire alongside the road near the historic town of Lahaina.