House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) believes the Biden administration's response to the wildfires on Maui deserves a House investigation as the death toll climbs over 100 with nearly 1,000 people missing.
McCarthy criticized President Joe Biden for his lack of public comment following the Hawaii fires during a Wednesday press conference in New York.
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"We saw the devastation that happened in Maui. … I'm very concerned about the response," McCarthy said. "We still have hundreds of individuals that are missing. I think there's going to have to be a congressional investigation into the response on Maui. How could you lose that many Americans?
"The president's response — had no comment. That's unacceptable," McCarthy added. "So I am going to work with committees to look at investigating what went on so that never happens again."
Maui officials have confirmed 115 people dead, with approximately 850 to 1,000 people unaccounted for. The wildfires are considered the deadliest in modern U.S. history, burning nearly 3,000 structures with estimated billions of dollars in damage.
Biden and first lady Jill Biden visited Maui on Monday, touring the areas of devastation and meeting with victims and families. His visit came after initial criticisms of a lagging response to the disaster. The fires began burning on Aug. 8.
The president promised further aid to help rebuild Maui after visiting with Gov. Josh Green (D-HI), his wife, and other Hawaiian lawmakers.
“The country grieves with you, stands with you, and will do everything possible to help you recover,” Biden said.
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Biden said in a speech in Lahaina, a town damaged and destroyed by the fires, that he and the first lady have a "little sense" when it comes to losing a home, explaining a fire that occurred in 2004 at a home next to his in Delaware, but he didn't want to "compare difficulties."
The Washington Examiner reached out to the White House for comment.