The United States Congress is pressured to approve additional disaster relief funding as the Maui wildfires continue to burn, and authorities have reported at least 111 fatalities.
While lawmakers have shared their willingness to consider such a decision, ongoing government funding controversies marred any road to actual approval. As officials expect the death toll in Hawaii to rise, a rare tropical storm traveling toward California is set to have "significant impacts" on the situation.
Maui Disaster Relief Funding
Additionally, wildfires continue to burn in the Northwest, and the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season has not yet arrived. The government is now forced to face and address the damage brought by previous floods, wildfires, and tornadoes.
Any funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has to make it through the House, where the narrow Republican majority has, for months, been arguing over federal funding and spending cuts, as per The Hill.
Additionally, GOP resistance to funding for Ukraine is expected to make approving any form of FEMA disaster aid complicated if the two issues continue to be linked. Last week, the White House requested what lawmakers described as "three sets of critical needs for emergency funding."
It was part of a potential stopgap funding package that sought to avoid a government shutdown after Sept. 30. Specifically, it asked for $24 billion to assist Ukraine in defending itself in its war against Russia and $4 billion for border security measures and to help prevent fentanyl from coming through the border. This is in addition to $12 billion for FEMA's much-needed disaster relief fund.
That fund provides money that would help respond to disasters across the United States, including floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and others. In a statement on Wednesday during a White House press briefing, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said that the agency may need more funding beyond the initial $12 billion.
Maui's Emergency Management Agency Chief Resigns
The situation comes as the head of Maui's emergency management agency filed his resignation on Thursday after he was questioned regarding his agency's decision not to sound the sirens on the Hawaii island amid the deadly wildfires, according to the New York Times.
Herman Andaya cited health reasons in making his decision. A day before the announcement, during a news conference, the chief defended the decision not to sound the sirens in Maui. He noted that the outdoor alarms were primarily used for tsunamis and would not have done anything to help the situation because people were trained to seek higher ground when hearing the siren.
Andaya was then asked whether or not he regretted the decision not to sound the alarms, answering with, "I do not." There are 80 warning sirens around Maui, none of which were activated during the wildfires last week.
In response to the chief's resignation, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen released a statement, saying that given the gravity of the current situation, they will be placing someone to fill the key position as quickly as possible, said the Independent.
Related Article: Maui Emergency Chief Resigns After Defending Alarm System Failure
