Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz slams Congress for "failing" Maui wildfire survivors

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz (D) of Hawaii scolded Congress on Tuesday on the Senate floor for its "failure" to support disaster survivors in Maui and across the country.

"Whether in Lahaina or in Burlington, survivors are not getting the full support of the federal government because Congress has yet to provide funding for long-term disaster recovery needs.”

Schatz referenced President Joe Biden's appeal made over four months ago for $2.8 billion for the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program. Despite bipartisan backing for additional funding, the recently passed spending package did not include any new allocations.

Aug. 8, 2023: Nearly eight months after the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history reduced the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui to ashes, killing more than 100 people and displacing more than 5,000 residents, the historic town still struggles with basic necessities and Hawaii's economy continues to suffer.

"People on Maui and every other disaster-struck community are counting on us for support," Schatz said. "And it can't be that the federal government leaves them high and dry midway through the process of putting their lives back together, because we couldn't get some numbers to add up."

He urged immediate action during forthcoming appropriations bill discussions, emphasizing that supporting disaster survivors must transcend partisan divides.

Schatz—who chairs both the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development, then shifted focus to a recent bipartisan achievement: securing $1.34 billion in federal funding for Native American housing programs. This funding, representing a 30% increase from the previous year, includes substantial support for tribal transportation projects.

Schatz underscored the dire living conditions faced by many Native American communities, highlighting the critical role of the allocated funds in addressing housing, infrastructure, and basic amenities like electricity and plumbing.

“Bipartisan victories do not grab the headlines in this town. They don't lead cable news or get tons of engagement on Twitter because there isn't a villain to ridicule or controversy to editorialize about but the federal government has a trust responsibility to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, which we've long fallen short of,” Schatz said.

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Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at [email protected] or on X @JeremyYurow

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Hawaii lawmaker slams Congress for not funding Maui disaster relief