[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 144 (Thursday, September 7, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4252-S4253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Maui Wildfires

  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, tomorrow marks 1 month since the 
devastating fires that destroyed the historic town of Lahaina on Maui 
and damaged several of Maui's upcountry communities.
  These devastating fires and the events that followed have been 
harrowing for all those who call Maui home and the many more who have 
visited these communities over the years. Initial estimates suggest the 
fires destroyed nearly 3,000 structures in Lahaina, almost 90 percent 
of which were residential. It also leveled roughly 700 businesses in 
and around Lahaina's historic Front Street. Tragically, the fires have 
claimed 115 lives to date, with some 385 people still unaccounted for.
  These numbers are devastating and reflect the pain and anguish Hawaii 
is feeling. But this disaster did not simply impact a collection of 
numbers or statistics; it impacted a community of people, tight-knit 
and proud--business owners who served as stewards of family-owned shops 
and restaurants passed down through generations; immigrants who came to 
Maui in search of a better life for themselves and their families; 
firefighters who raced into horrific, toxic conditions to try to save a 
town they loved even as many of their own homes burned to the ground 
mere miles away; and so many more who called Lahaina home.
  As the onetime capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Lahaina holds great 
agriculture and historic significance for the Native Hawaiian 
community. For some families, their roots in Lahaina date back more 
than a century, with homes passed down from generation to generation. 
Others came from elsewhere, captivated by Lahaina's beauty and charm. 
And before the fires, Lahaina was a bustling seaside town that welcomed 
thousands of visitors every month. But in mere moments, all of that was 
destroyed as 80-mile-per-hour winds, fueled by a hurricane 500 miles 
away, propelled the fire through the town with unimaginable speed and 
fury.
  The devastation is difficult to put into words, as is the trauma this 
community is experiencing. Front Street, once vibrant with the sounds 
of music and revelers in the air, is now eerily quiet. The only sound 
to be heard is often the clanging of twisted metal in the wind. At the 
hotels where survivors are staying, parents are afraid to send their 
children to school, not wanting them out of their sight.
  I met a woman who escaped the fire with just a backpack of 
belongings--a backpack she now takes everywhere with her, refusing to 
take it off her back. I met hotel workers and others, especially a 
mental health worker who said that weeks after the fires, some 
residents and workers were so traumatized, they didn't even want to 
come out of their rooms.
  At the same time, at a time of grief and loss, residents have been 
subjected to disinformation on social media, likely coordinated by 
foreign government entities, to discourage residents from reaching out 
to FEMA for disaster assistance and disinformation that sows distrust 
in the Federal Government. It is an all-hands-on-deck effort to combat 
this kind of disinformation and make sure survivors can access Federal 
support.
  As we work to ensure the survivors of this disaster have the support 
they need, we are also working to understand the full cost of the 
devastation. According to initial estimates, the damage to property 
alone from these fires is upwards of $5 billion. Estimates for 
rebuilding Lahaina are more than double that.
  Rebuilding will take time, resources, and a continuity of effort. 
That is why I am so grateful for the strong response of the full family 
of Federal Agencies, more than 25 of which are on the ground in Maui 
with over 1,000 personnel. From FEMA and SBA to HHS, HUD, DOD, and so 
many others, the Federal family responded with speed to meet the 
immediate needs of those impacted.
  Within days of the fires starting, FEMA, working with the Governor, 
mayor, and local entities, was able to get thousands of survivors into 
hotel rooms, Airbnbs, and other short-term shelters. To date, more than 
$50 million in Federal assistance to individuals has already been 
approved. But we know this is just the beginning. Federal personnel 
have also been critical to the search and rescue efforts, coming from 
around the country to help search through the rubble and identify the 
remains of those lost.
  When President Biden visited last month, he made a commitment that 
the Federal Government will be there for as long as it takes to help 
Lahaina recover and rebuild as the community--as the community--
envisions. The $4 billion in additional FEMA funding the President 
requested late last week is an important downpayment on that promise.
  This funding will help ensure FEMA has the resources it needs to 
continue its critical disaster relief work not just on Maui but in 
other communities impacted by disasters all across our country. I hope 
it will pass with strong bipartisan support, as has long been the case 
for disaster relief funding.
  But we know, as I said before, this is just the beginning. In the 
decade since Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on New York and New Jersey, 
FEMA has spent more than $18 billion assisting impacted communities. 
FEMA's long-term cost for its response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 
exceeded $60 billion. Like those communities, Lahaina's rebuilding will 
take time and, as I said before, a continuity of effort.
  These fires took so much from so many, but the spirit of aloha--of 
love, kindness, and care for one another--continues. It is that aloha 
that brought our community together after this crisis, and I have faith 
that it will continue to see us through.
  I will be here, along with my colleagues from Hawaii--my other 
Senator, Brian Schatz, is here as part of our delegation--to fight for 
everything Hawaii and Maui needs to recover and rebuild, guided by the 
voices and values of those who call Lahaina home.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Cantwell). The Senator from New Jersey.
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that prior to 
the scheduled votes, I be permitted to

[[Page S4253]]

speak for 6 minutes, Senator Lujan for 5 minutes, and Senator Cantwell 
for 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.