Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 03:00 pm
Speaker Kevin McCarthy is going to Hawaii to see the wildfire damage and to announce a House investigation into President Biden’s response.
Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News reported:
NEWS — @SpeakerMcCarthy is heading to HAWAII this week to see the damage from the fires that killed more than 115 people there.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
AND: He is also opening a congressional investigation into the disaster, the lead up and the response.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) August 28, 2023
The Biden administration set a record by getting the Hawaii disaster declaration approved in 63 minutes.Â
It doesn’t matter to Speaker McCarthy that the people in Hawaii appear to be pleased with Biden’s visit and the support that he has shown them.
Biden went beyond thoughts and prayers with his visit, but he made a commitment to the people who have been impacted by what is likely to be one of the worst natural disasters in recent US history.
The idea that Biden did not do or say enough is refuted by his remarks in Wisconsin on August 15.
Kevin McCarthy has House Republicans on course to shut down the government at the end of September, but he is going to Hawaii to announce an investigation into President Biden because House Republicans aren’t interested in governing. Their majority exists solely to help Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
Sarah Jones detailed Biden’s Hawaii wildfires response in a recent podcast for our newsletter The Daily:
Instead of government funding bills being passed, the American people will get an investigation into the Hawaii wildfires. Kevin McCarthy is what incompetent but cynical governance looks like.
Over the last decade, congressional Republicans have played politics with natural disasters.
Republicans no longer unify to help their fellow Americans in need. The modern GOP playbook exploits the victims of disasters to score cheap partisan political points.
Hawaiians don’t need Kevin McCarthy to visit. The people of Hawaii need him to do his job and keep the government open to get the disaster relief funding they need.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
