Biden says he plans to visit Hawaii to see damage from Maui wildfires
President Joe Biden said he intends to travel to Hawaii with first lady Jill Biden as soon as possible amid mounting pressure to see firsthand the devastation from wildfires in Maui.
“My wife Jill and I are going to travel to Hawaii as soon as we can,” Biden said Tuesday in Milwaukee before he delivered a speech on his economic agenda. The president said he had spoken to Gov. Josh Green about the wildfires — the U.S.’s deadliest in more than a century — and wanted to ensure a visit did not interrupt recovery efforts, with the death toll now at 99 and searches continuing for the missing.
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“That’s what I’ve been talking to the governor about. I don’t want to get in the way,” Biden said. “I’ve been to too many disaster areas. But I want to go, make sure we got everything they need. Want to be sure we don’t disrupt the ongoing recovery efforts.”
Biden’s remarks aimed to end a simmering controversy over the White House response to the disaster. The president was asked about the rising death toll while he was at the beach in Delaware over the weekend. He told reporters “no comment,” before heading home, a remark that sparked criticism from conservative media circles.
Searchers accompanied by 20 cadaver dogs continue to comb the historic seaside town of Lahaina for remains.
Biden said he had assured Green that the federal government would provide whatever assistance Hawaii required — citing the work being done by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.
“I had directed her to streamline the process as quickly as possible to help register survivors for immediate federal assistance without delay,” said Biden. Last week, Biden signed a disaster declaration for Hawaii, which released federal funding and delivered additional aid to help state and local recovery efforts.
The wildfires have overshadowed Biden’s plans this week to highlight the one-year anniversary of his signing of the Inflation Reduction Act.
