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House of Representatives may investigate federal government's role in deadly Maui wildfires, Kevin McCarthy suggests

Aug 24, 2023 06:35 AM IST

House may investigate federal government's role in deadly Maui wildfires; McCarthy criticizes Biden's response.

The House of Representatives may investigate the federal government’s role in the deadly wildfires that engulfed Maui, Hawaii, earlier this month, Speaker Kevin McCarthy suggested on Wednesday.

FILE - Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, July 17, 2023. House conservatives in a group known as the Freedom Caucus have unveiled a list of demands that they want included in a stopgap spending measure to keep the federal government running after the end of September. It's a smorgasbord of non-starters for the Democratic-controlled Senate and the White House, signaling the challenges McCarthy will face next month to get a bill passed in the House without alienating a sizeable share of his conference. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)(AP)
FILE - Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., talks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, July 17, 2023. House conservatives in a group known as the Freedom Caucus have unveiled a list of demands that they want included in a stopgap spending measure to keep the federal government running after the end of September. It's a smorgasbord of non-starters for the Democratic-controlled Senate and the White House, signaling the challenges McCarthy will face next month to get a bill passed in the House without alienating a sizeable share of his conference. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)(AP)

McCarthy said, “I’m very concerned about the response.”

“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.”

He also slammed President Joe Biden for his silence on the issue, saying it was unacceptable. Biden, who was on vacation in Nevada at a Lake Tahoe mansion owned by a Democratic billionaire, only said “no comment” when asked about the Maui wildfires on Aug. 13, sparking outrage.

The Maui wildfires, which were sparked by Hurricane Dora on Aug. 8, have claimed at least 115 lives and left another 850 missing, according to local authorities. The fires are still not fully under control after two weeks.

Local officials on Maui have also faced criticism for their lack of preparedness and action. They failed to activate emergency alarms or release water in time to combat the flames.

Biden and his wife Jill visited Maui on Monday, but their visit was riddled with gaffes.

Biden compared the Maui wildfires to a minor house fire he experienced in the early 2000s, saying he and Jill had a little sense of what it was like to lose a home.

“Years ago now, 15 years … lightning struck at home on a little lake outside the home, not a lake, a big pond. It hit the wire and came up underneath our home. To make a long story short, I almost lost my wife, my ’67 Corvette and my cat.”

The 80-year-old president returned to Lake Tahoe on Wednesday, where he took a Pilates class and commented on whether he thought Russian President Vladimir Putin was responsible for the crash of a private jet that was carrying Yevgeny Prigozhin, a former Kremlin ally who rebelled against Putin two months ago.

Biden said he did not know for sure what happened, but he was not surprised. He said that nothing happens in Russia without Putin’s involvement, but he did not have enough information to know the answer.

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The 46th U.S. President has declared a federal disaster for Maui and sent hundreds of FEMA personnel there to help. He has promised that the federal government will stay in Maui as long as it takes. The White House has authorized about $700 of aid per household affected by the fires.

McCarthy has hinted that he may launch an impeachment inquiry against Biden when the House resumes next month over the Biden family’s foreign business dealings.

He told Fox Business Network on Tuesday that the only thing that stops him from doing so is getting the documents he has requested. He said the outcome depends on how the Bidens handle this.

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