Mohave Today

Sen. Anthony Kern, R-Ariz., publicly criticized the Biden administration. He highlighted its failure to allocate sufficient funding to assist the victims of the Maui wildfire, all the while having provided billions to Ukraine, according to an Aug. 21 post on X, formerly Twitter.

"Federal assistance to now-homeless Hawaiians was $700 per household," Kern said on X. "This is from the same government that has sent over $100 billion to Ukraine."

The town of Lahaina on the island of Maui was ravaged by a wildfire Aug. 8, resulting in the destruction of 3.5 square miles of land. The tragic event has already led to the loss of 114 lives, with the potential for this number to increase as recovery operations continue. More than 1,000 are still reported as missing, NBC News reported. 

The wildfire is said to have been fueled by intense drought conditions and wind gusts reaching speeds of up to 67 mph, according to NBC.

Criticism has been directed toward the Biden administration for its apparent lack of concern regarding the Maui wildfire disaster. The administration has faced backlash for refraining from commenting on the situation on multiple occasions and for not visiting the island until nearly two weeks after the incident occurred, as reported by USA Today. 

Furthermore, the relief efforts have come under scrutiny as FEMA provided "one-time payments of $700 per household to help assist survivors with immediate essentials, including clothing, food and transportation," according to USA Today.

The Biden administration's response and reported assistance shortfall have been linked to the substantial financial support sent to Ukraine in the past year. In total, the U.S. has allocated more than $111 billion in aid to Ukraine, with a focus on "humanitarian, financial and military assistance." As recently as last month, additional funding of $24 billion was requested by Biden for Ukraine, which would bring the total to $135 billion, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"This situation in Maui is catastrophic and devastating," Kari Lake, former candidate for governor of Arizona, said in a post on X. "There are Americans in need of serious help – and it's crickets from the criminal Biden administration."