House GOP will 'examine' Biden admin response to Maui wildfire, Comer says

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House Republicans plan to examine the Biden administration's response to the deadly wildfire in Maui, House Oversight Committee chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said Wednesday.

President Biden faced heavy criticism for his slow response to the wildfire, and many Maui residents have said the federal government did little to support them after the blaze. More than 110 people died in the tragedy, and search efforts are still ongoing.

"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," Comer said Wednesday. "As recovery efforts continue, the House Oversight Committee has a responsibility to ensure taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently and effectively."

"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," he added.

BIDEN BLASTED FOR COMPARING KITCHEN FIRE IN HIS HOME TO DEVASTATING MAUI BLAZE: ‘ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING’

House Republicans plan to examine the Biden administration's response to the deadly wildfire in Maui, House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., said Wednesday. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

White House officials rejected claims that the federal response to Maui had been slow or lackluster in a statement to Fox News Digital. They pointed to statements from Hawaii's governor thanking Biden for federal assistance. Lahaina's Mayor, Richard Bissen, also stated that Biden's trip to Maui brought "hope."

"As Hawaii’s governor, congressional delegation, and local authorities have made clear, the Biden Administration moved at an historic speed to rapidly get more than 1,000 staff on the ground and deliver nearly $15 million in FEMA assistance to families to help the people of Maui. After repeatedly voting to cut the wildfire response budget and defending the Trump Administration’s disastrous handling of Puerto Rico response efforts, we would welcome an about-face from congressional Republicans if they’re now willing to support new funds for disaster relief and stop denying the existence of the climate crisis that is a national security threat and taking lives in red and blue states," White House spokesman Andre Bates told Fox News Digital.

Critics blasted Biden for refusing to acknowledge the fire earlier this month, telling a reporter he had "no comment" on the then-rising death toll while on vacation in Delaware.

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The president and first lady Jill Biden did not visit the island until more than a week later on Aug. 21. There, he made another misstep by comparing the deadly wildfire to a kitchen fire in his home.

"I don’t want to compare difficulties, but we have a little sense, Jill and I, of what it was like to lose a home," Biden said during his visit. "Years ago, now 15 years, I was in Washington doing ‘Meet the Press.' … 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, into the … air condition ducts.

"To make a long story short, I almost lost my wife, my '67 Corvette and my cat," he said.

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President Biden was criticized for comparing the Maui blaze to a fire in his kitchen. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Critics blasted President Biden for refusing to acknowledge the fire earlier this month, telling a reporter he had "no comment" on the then-rising death toll while on vacation in Delaware. (Courtesy of an anonymous source to Fox News Digital )

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Residents also complained of a lagging response by FEMA, though the White House says it was working with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green throughout the crisis to provided anything needed.