Maui wildfire recovery effectively paused without additional funds

In the wake of last year’s wildfires on the island of Maui, one moment that stuck with Rep. Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, about the federal government’s response was watching the head of the Small Business Administration help a displaced resident by serving as an ad hoc translator. 

“I remember in just the days after the fire, Administrator [Isabel] Guzman coming to the war memorial with us to see a congregate shelter, helping us to actually translate in Spanish, because we didn't have a translator right there at the time, and allowing my team to then help this person get their papers that had burned in the fire,” she said.  

Guzman’s translating is a small example of the massive amount of work that federal agencies have performed in Maui to recover from wildfires that killed more than 100 people, destroyed more than 2,200 structures and caused approximately $5.5 billion in damages. 

“We're here today in part to grieve with you and to acknowledge those painful losses, but we’re mostly here looking forward — to reinforce the federal government's continued commitment to helping Hawaii recover,” said Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., at a House Oversight and Accountability subcommittee field hearing on Sept. 4 in Hawaii. 

The federal government has spent approximately $3 billion on Maui wildfire recovery efforts and has made significant progress; however, continuing improvements are essentially on hold unless Congress provides additional funding, which it may do before the end of the month. 

In August, the Federal Emergency Management Agency began limiting use of money in the Disaster Relief Fund to lifesaving and life-sustaining activities, which occurs when the fund is short on money. 

“We're unable to obligate the funding that's needed to rebuild permanent infrastructure, and so while we currently, right now, have sufficient funds to continue to help individuals with housing or other immediate needs, that too is starting to be threatened,” said Bob Fenton, a FEMA regional administrator and the chief federal response coordinator for the wildfire, at the hearing.  “We're at a very good stage right now with debris being removed, water coming on and power coming on to actually start rebuilding the infrastructure. And [the funding shortfall] will delay that process and elongate the recovery and impact Maui further.” 

President Joe Biden in June requested a total of $27.5 billion in supplemental funding for certain disaster needs, including with respect to the Maui wildfires. 

Congress must act to avert a government shutdown before Sept. 30 when the current fiscal year ends and funding expires. This likely would be the chamber’s soonest opportunity to replenish FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund. 

House Republicans’ measure to extend government funding through March 28, 2025, which the chamber is scheduled to vote on this week, would provide an additional $10 billion for the Disaster Relief Fund. 

Representatives at the hearing also spoke in support of providing funding for the Housing and Urban Development Department’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program, which is used to rebuild areas affected by disasters and support long-term recovery. 

Other milestones in Maui’s wildfire recovery include:

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished clearing fire debris from residential properties — months ahead of schedule — and constructed a temporary elementary school for 320 students. 
• SBA has provided more than $405 million in loan offers (more than $90 million of which has been disbursed) and awarded $425 million in prime contracts to Hawaiian-owned firms. 
• EPA removed 200 tons of hazardous material, ahead of schedule and under budget, and completed its drinking water and wastewater emergency response. 

Fenton testified that debris removal is expected to be completed by February 2025. 

Agency officials also discussed how they incorporated cultural sensitivity into their recovery efforts. 

“The Corps worked closely with cultural advisors and was sensitive to Native Hawaiian traditions, including pule, or prayer, before missions and significant events. These practices, led by cultural monitors, honored the land and the people, fostering trust and respect with the community,” said Col. Eric Swenson. “This approach was critical in ensuring that our efforts were not just about rebuilding infrastructure, but also about doing our part to heal a community deeply rooted in its heritage.”

Government Operations and the Federal Workforce Subcommittee Chairman Pete Sessions, R-Texas, at the hearing thanked federal employees who have been working in Hawaii. 

“Those who represent the federal government, FEMA and other agencies, they have been on the ground here for a year. They feel like their lives have been benefited because [of their] service back to people on this island,” he said. “And I wish to thank them at this time, on behalf of the United States Congress and the American people, for their work, their diligence, their honesty and the reasons why they came were to be of help and assistance. I think that should not be forgotten.”

Individuals at the hearing also urged the need for increased access to affordable housing to ensure that Maui residents can remain on the island. Tokuda referenced a Hawaii State Rural Health Association survey from June that found 45% of fire-impacted Maui County residents were considering leaving and a majority know someone who has left since the wildfires. 

“While we can rebuild structures, if we do not return Lahaina to the very people who represent the spirit and the soul of our community, if we don't recognize the faces of our friends and our family as we repopulate, then we will have lost this battle for our people, and even one more family lost is one too many,” testified Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen through tears.