While most government officials (not corrupt) would see a trip to Hawaii as an opportunity to address the recent tragedy near Lahaina, it seems FEMA officials saw it as an opportunity for something quite different.
According to a report and photos obtained by the Daily Mail, while the people of Hawaii grapple with a serious disaster, FEMA officials have been enjoying all the amenities that come with a $1,000+ a night hotel.
The revelation has sparked outrage, with many seeing this as a blatant display of disregard for the dire situation at hand.
The news outlet reported:
FEMA teams have checked in at three five-star hotels, the Fairmont Kea Lani, Four Seasons, and the Grand Wailea Astoria where past guests include members of Hollywood’s elite.
Their rooms carry price tags that are well out of reach of most hard-working Americans.
Federal government rates for this week at all three resorts start at an eye-watering $1,000, company sources told DailyMail.com.
The news comes in stark contrast to the pleas from FEMA’s administrator, Deanne Criswell, who has been vocal about the agency’s lack of funds.
Criswell has repeatedly stated that FEMA needs more taxpayer money to adequately respond to disasters like the one in Hawaii.
Criswell said during an interview with Face the Nation, “Our estimates do still say that we may have a depletion of our fund — now it’s pushed into the middle of September. And as we get closer to that, I mean, this is a day-by-day monitoring of the situation.”
CBS News reported:
FEMA’s disaster fund could dry up within weeks and delay the federal response to natural disasters, the agency’s administrator warned Sunday.
FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell told “Face the Nation” that the agency is watching its disaster relief fund “very closely” ahead of hurricane season and that some recovery projects that are not life-saving measures could be delayed into the next fiscal year if funding falls short.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there were 15 weather or climate disaster events this year before Aug. 8, with each causing more than $1 billion in damage. The tally does not include the recent wildfires on Maui, which decimated Lahaina, causing an estimated $6 billion in damage to the coastal city. The peak of hurricane season is not until Sept. 11.
President Biden asked Congress earlier this month for $12 billion to replenish the disaster fund to address the response to the wildfires and other natural disasters. Congress is on recess until after Labor Day.
Criswell said that amount may not be enough.
Criswell is the first woman nominated to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Biden administration cheered her appointment noting that Deanne has a strong background in climate change. That’s an important attribute for a FEMA director when fires are destroying communities and floods and tornadoes are leveling mainland cities and towns.
On Friday, Criswell was asked why the people of Maui report no sign of government assistance after the historic fire that ripped across the island, killing over 100 locals and a thousand missing.
Criswell did not deny the claims but blamed it on the trauma they are experiencing.
Last week, White House resident Joe Biden offered a one-time payment of $700 per household to people displaced by the Maui fires.
“We’ve also authorized one-time payments of $700 per household for folks who have been displaced so they can do the immediate things…” Biden said.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been given over $100 billion.
Jesse Watters reported on this revelation regarding FEMA’s striking lack of sensitivity to the ongoing crisis in Hawaii on his show Tuesday night.
In a Twitter post, he wrote, “The government is disrespecting us once again. FEMA has turned the Hawaii tragedy into a vacation.”
WATCH:
The government is disrespecting us once again. FEMA has turned the Hawaii tragedy into a vacation. According to a report and photos obtained by the Daily Mail, FEMA officials booked themselves into 5-star luxury Hawaiian resorts, where they relaxed at cocktail bars, 45 minutes… pic.twitter.com/9qyUv7PIOZ
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) August 23, 2023