U.S. Rep. James Comer representing Kentucky's 1st Congressional District | Official U.S. House headshot
U.S. Rep. James Comer representing Kentucky's 1st Congressional District | Official U.S. House headshot
WASHINGTON—Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) today announced a hearing titled “Assessing the Federal Government’s Response to the 2023 Maui Wildfires” to examine the ongoing federal response to the devastating wildfires in Lahaina, Hawaii that occurred in August 2023.
“The wildfires in Maui coincided with the Subcommittee’s hearing in Ft. Myers, FL, to review the federal government’s recovery efforts to Hurricane Ian. We just passed the one-year anniversary of the tragedy in Maui. This hearing provides an opportunity to determine whether lessons learned in Florida have been implemented or whether congressional action may be necessary. It is also an opportunity to review additional aspects of the recovery process that the specific circumstances and characteristics of Maui will highlight. I am holding this hearing in close conjunction with my colleagues from the Hawaiian delegation, and together we intend to ensure the people of Hawaii receive the necessary support from federal agencies,” said Subcommittee Chairman Sessions.
The hearing details are as follows:
WHAT: Hearing titled “Assessing the Federal Government’s Response to the 2023 Maui Wildfires”
DATE: September 4, 2024
TIME: 10:00 AM HST
LOCATION: Lahaina Civic Center, Social Hall, 1840 HI-30, Lahaina, HI 96761
Witnesses include:
Panel I:
- Mr. Bob Fenton, Regional Administrator (Region 9), Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Col. Eric Swenson, Commander, St. Paul District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Mr. Francisco Sánchez Jr., Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster Recovery & Resilience, Small Business Administration
- Ms. Cheree Peterson, Deputy Regional Administrator (Region 9), Environmental Protection Agency
Panel II: State/Local Witnesses
- Lt. Governor Sylvia Luke, Governor’s Office
- Mr. Richard Bissen, Mayor of Maui County
- Ms. Lauren Nahme, Senior Vice President of Hawaii Community Foundation's Maui Recovery Office
- Mr. Sne Patel from LahainaTown Action Committee
- Mr. Ke’eaumoku Kapu, President & CEO of Na Aikane O Maui
The hearing will be open for viewing by both public and press and will be livestreamed online at https://oversight.house.gov/. Please note this hearing is intended for lawmakers to hear from invited witnesses and it is not a public forum.
Media wishing to attend should RSVP here.
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