Maui fire: Biden visits Hawaii to survey damage, meet with survivors | LiveNOW from FOX
I want to thank you for your leadership and this unimaginable during this unimaginable traveling tragedy to my left is The Banyan Tree beloved by this community for over 150 years here in the former capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii that has stood for Generations as a sacred spot of exceptional significance one of the people who took me under his wing when I first got to the center was Danny no way is to talk about to talk about the Kingdom of Hawaii he was just came from Japan but it was amazing to listen to him today is burned but it's still standing the trees survived for a reason I believe it's a powerful a very powerful symbol of what we can and will do to get through this crisis and for this for as long as it takes we're going to be with you the whole country be with you you know we will be respectful of the Sacred grounds and the Traditions that rebuild the way the people of Maui want to build not the way others want to build we're going to rebuild the way the people of Maui want to build but you know it's going to be hard America's deadly wildfired deadliest wildfire in over a century and Jill and I have what's left uh walked Front Street was left of it we've surveyed the damage from the air as well the devastation is overwhelming to date 114 dead hundreds of people unaccounted for I remember when I got the call my first wife and daughter I was a young Senator and I got a call in Washington I hadn't been sworn in yet I wasn't old enough and I was hiring staff in the Capitol at Teddy Kennedy's office and I got a phone call saying from my fire department and the young first responder kind of pension you got to come home it's been an accident so what happened he said your wife she she's dead come home come home the tractor trailer had broadsided her and uh and killed her in a car accident along with my little daughter and uh I remember all the way down from Washington home wondering what a lot of people here wondering what about my two boys how are they they were in the car I never got a read on that where they're going to be all right they're badly injured where they're going to make it had they made it until I walked into the emergency room and I saw that they were there the difference between knowing somebody's gone and worrying whether they're available to come back are two different things you know and I I remember what one of the people helped me the most was Danny no way he helped bring me back so I know the feeling that as many of the people in this town this community that Hollow feeling you have in your chest like you're being sucked into a black hole wondering will I ever will ever get by this you know it's one thing to know but it's quite another thing to have to wait to wonder whether your family member is going to be okay imagine being a parent wondering whether your child is where it is I remember as I said you know press reports of grandfathers crying for lost neighbors while trying to be strong for the ones who survive of a woman Distributing clothing to survivors who says she didn't lose her home but she lost her hometown but I also want all of you to know the country's Grieves with you stands with you and will do everything possible to help you recover rebuild and respect culture and traditions when the rebuilding takes place my Administration has been in constant contact with the governor and Congressional Delegation on local leaders as soon as I got the government the governor's request I signed the master uh the major disaster declaration that mobilized the whole of government response which means whatever you need you're going to get for example the Coast Guard Navy meeting the support of Maritime search and rescue operations while the Army helped fire suppression here's what that's here's what we've been doing since first we focused on search and rescue which is still going on right now there are over 450 search and rescue experts working Round the Clock second I've identified FEMA's administrator Griswold to lean forward as she always has done to help survivors get immediate aid famous quickly provided five fifty five thousand meals 75 000 liters of water 5 000 beds 10 000 blankets working to help remove the debris repair roads and restore power additionally my Department of Homeland of Housing and Urban Development is working with the state to make sure survivors can move from Emergency Shelters into temporary housing to finally have a permanent place to call home as well small business administration is making low interest Federal disaster loans available Hawaiian business as many of whom you've seen here burn to the ground homeowners and renters and non-profits if you need help you can visit FEMA's Disaster Recovery Center at Maui College or go to disasterassistance.gov disasterassistance.gov today I'm appointing Bob Fentons here where are you Bob all right we're appointed Bob Fenton as our chief Federal response coordinator for Maui to lead our long-term recovery work he's one of the nation's most experienced Disaster Response and Recovery experts in America and I'm dick I'm directing him to make sure the community has everything everything the federal government can offer to heal and to rebuild as fast as possible and we're focused on what's next that's rebuilding along the long term rebuilding for long term and doing it together to help get us back on our feet to rebuild the way we want to rebuild by making sure your voices are heard by respecting your Traditions by understanding the Deep history and meaning of this sacred ground and establishing your community not to change it its character but re-establish it we're also going to bring the capabilities to help you rebuild so your critical infrastructure is more resilient in the future that all this matters let me close to this from stories of grief we've seen so many stories of Hope and heroism of the Aloha spirit every emergency responder put their lives in the line for us save others they're all everyday Heroes neighbors helping neighbors native Hawaiian leaders offering Solace and strength and this Banyan Tree one called it the diamond in the rough of Hope another referred to fire cannot reach its root was that fire cannot reach its roots that's Maui that's America and so the people of Hawaii were with you for as long as it takes I promise you may God bless all those we've lost may God find those who we haven't determined yet and may God bless you all may God protect our troops now I'm going to happy to turn this over to the governor governor Greene thank you government thank you thank you Mr President before my formal remarks to brief I wanted to say that I was deeply moved by the president has he shared with us by phone about his experiences of loss and how Senator annoy helped bring him back and how as time has passed he's back here with us in Hawaii you could feel a deep deep commitment to playing that forward and caring for our people so thank you Mr President friends we've been through so much together in recent years we had three years at the covet pandemic which left us isolated we've had volcanic eruptions in 2018 and 22. which ravaged big island and there are scars here in our people's lives from opioids and homelessness but none of this has been as tragic as the fire in Lahaina which over these past 13 days has come down on us like a mountain the amount of loss we've experienced in such a short time will be difficult for us to even fathom but we'll hold each other up our hearts are broken and we'll heal but with the assistance of President Biden the federal government and the love and compassion and resources throughout our state we know we have the support to lift us up as we find those who are lost we'll deal with the tragedy the president within six hours six hours met our needs with the federal movement six hours I don't think that's ever happened before so it's our deepest appreciation to you and and Dr Biden thank you the people of Lahaina will need time we know to heal to recover to grieve and thank you Mr President for understanding that and for sharing as we've shared that Lahaina belongs to its people and we're committed to rebuilding the way the people of Lahaina want we want to emphasize that again this land is for the people of Maui and it's reserved as they return and rebuild so we've instructed with the wisdom of the president and the wisdom of other First Responders and FEMA to reach out to our attorney general and enhance criminal penalties for those who would take advantage of our victims she will share more about that in coming days right now I want to speak to the world when I say this of course no one can travel to West Maui right now we will share when that is possible again only returning residents and authorized emergency relief workers should come here now but all of the other areas of Maui friends and the rest of Hawaii are safe they're open they're available the Mystique and love here the Aloha is here for you and the reason I say that is because when you come you will support our local economy and help speed the recovery of the people that are suffering right now the thousands and thousands of family members that may have had loss who will still have to care for the others that remain briefly to support those who have been affected by the fire the American Red Cross has stepped up please support them they're supporting our people the Hawaii Community Foundation again another place you can lean in we will assure that those resources go to the people they're suffering finally there may never be another time in our state's history ever when we need to summon the spirit of Aloha as deeply as we summon it today so for the good of everyone who has been impacted share aloha thank you for making that a part of what we are the world is watching and we will show them the true strength of our culture our people and all that we believe and as they watch us heal protect and nurture one another the world will be reminded why it loves and Embraces Hawaii and we embrace it aloha [Applause] got too emotional next I'm honored to introduce Brian Shaw's a dear friend and our senator aloha although we wish the circumstances were different we do want to say Mahalo to the president and the first lady and welcome for making this historic trip in our time of need we in Hawaii have been through hurricanes tsunamis volcanic eruptions but we've never seen such a robust Federal response thank you Lahaina is one of the most special places on the planet it was the seat of power for the Hawaiian Kingdom it was a wailing Town it was a plantation town and most recently a vibrant Multicultural Coastal Community and it was gone in an instant these fires have completely devastated families and communities and the loss is unimaginable we mourn parents grandparents and kids aunties and uncles friends and Neighbors to the First Responders who put their own lives at risk to save others and to everyone on Maui who has been working around the clock to help this community while your own lives have been turned upside down mahalo please know that we are going to do everything we can to get you the help that you need this is the deadliest natural disaster that Hawaii has ever seen and as a result this is the biggest Federal response that Hawaii has ever seen but we will need more support from everyone the Maui Community will pull together and chart its own future scope of this tragedy means that we will need everyone in Hawaii and across the country the work will continue and we will be there every step of the way I'd now like to introduce my partner in the United States Senate Maisie hirono Mr President first lady thank you so much for being here too listen to the local people and to see for yourself the devastation that will require a lot of federal resources Mr President you and vice president Kamala Harris were among the first people to call me in the early days of this growing disaster and the fires that race through this town consumed practically everything in its path lives were lost our hearts go out to all of the people who lost their loved ones and who lost everything in a matter of minutes I was at the county collection Distribution Center earlier this morning in this year's parking lot and what this Devastation has led to are the people of Maui come for coming forward to donate their time their resources their homes to help their neighbors and I even saw tourists who were helping volunteering at the center at this collection facility in the last days of their vacations here because they know that their help would matter and of course the federal family of agencies starting with FEMA Bob you have been through many of these disasters you are a person who will help us recover so all of our family of federal agencies FEMA the do Department of Defense interior HUD Army Corps of Engineers SBA they were all here from the very beginning to provide the help that we need and my hope is that Lahaina and up country will rebuild in a way that we will listen to the people here and that hope is represented by this banyan tree that stands here well all around things burn the Banyan tree stands and it is a symbol of Hope and when I talk with the arborist who is here to make sure that this tree survives he said that the tree will tell us what it needs and our job is to listen and that is our job to listen to the people of Maui to listen to the people of Lahaina as we rebuild mahalanuilo to all of you who are here and most especially to the president first lady we will rebuild and we will rebuild listening to the voices and the values of the people here now I turn to Jill takuda our newest member [Applause] thank you senator hirono you know we all stand here and we can feel the intense heat coming down on us and I can tell you it breaks my heart to think about just how hot it was here to do the damage that we see less than two weeks ago all of our hearts breaking for what has happened here in the loss that we will Ex we've experienced Mr President first lady Biden Mahalo not only for your presence here today but for the love and Aloha you have shown our Maui Ohana from the very very beginning your actions from the earliest days of this tragedy your visit here today demonstrates your commitment and connection with our local community this is a national disaster it will demand a national response you being here with us connecting with our community makes that absolutely clear the Banyan tree that we stand in front of has become an iconic symbol of our heartbreak and our hope the pain we feel as we recall happier times under her branches our undying hope that under the charred and scarred exterior there is still life and renewal and while this tree is a symbol her roots our people have been scattered far and wide and while we go here and we look and we search we know that so many of her Roots her people still wait here to be found others not often seen are in places like the beaches of honokavai the homesteads of Leia gathered in shelters in our communities clinging together I have spent time among her Roots our people spread out across Maui and like the Urgent Care and attention being given to our beloved Banyan Tree her Roots our people need that same urgent care and attention they need everything from basic identification and documents tense and Water trailers mental health care we can heal the body but this this takes so much longer to recover from something like this basic Wi-Fi connections air quality monitoring and testing especially for many who still live in and around these areas the needs are great but so are the struggles of Courage I've sat and hugged a wife still looking for her husband till this day I've heard of a child who does not want to leave the ocean because he thinks the files fires will burn him and I've seen the fear on the face of a survivor in their eyes because the wind blew too hard and it took her back to that moment we know some of our most difficult days still live before us it's going to be long it's going to leave us feeling heavy with loss frustrated angry that we can't move faster but if our Roots our people are to not just survive but thrive if there is to actually be renewal and life beneath these scars these Burns then we must all draw as has been said on the wisdom of our kupuna and the lessons that they have taught us to live and lead with Aloha and lokahi we must remember that our strength is in our connections to one another our ability to communicate and care with each other the challenge we face before us will no doubt test our aloha but if there's one thing I know absolutely 110 for sure Aloha always wins mahalo I now bring up mayor bison for some words Mr President Dr Biden for slavery Aloha cool we are hurting because so many have lost so much we are hurting because we know we have changed forever we're hurting because not only we've lost our historical places and our homes but we've lost our loved ones this is a historical town there's much to be learned from this place just behind me is the Maui is the pioneering here on Maui my mom worked there for 17 years in the 70s and 80s I would spend much time here with her that Courthouse there is the original line of Courthouse as a young prosecutor in 1987 I started my career in that courtroom there's much memories for all of us and that's why we hurt because we don't have those anymore but what we do have is help all we hope that's been mentioned by every person standing here and more importantly the heroes there facing horror and going after that and that's the reason we can move forward it's because we have the help the community has come together and when I say community I mean the world's Community not just Maui not just Hawaii not just the United States of America but all countries have come forth to help us we've brought that together so what that leaves us leaves us with is Hope we have hope that we can put this together as we comfort those who have hurt so much and we try to heal and so again I'm here on behalf of the people of the county of Maui Molokai Lanai to thank every one of you who have given to us who have donated who have offered their services and especially the leaders behind me who in each of their own ways have also helped us and I wanted to say how responsive the president has been he called yesterday asked for the help we needed we talked a little bit about that and within two hours one of his cabinet members called me back to answer my question so we've been getting all the help that we need again because we want to let our people know that there is hope a hollow thank you okay many speakers here uh including obviously first up President Biden who invokes his own personal tragedy trying to relate and speak to those who have also experienced now a horrible tragedy of course the loss of his then wife and young daughter back in the late 70s in a horrible car accident you've heard him talk about that how that impacted and affected him and that's what he tries to use is consolerant Chief to demonstrate he knows what these people are going through so we also got some news in there as well that uh president is appointing a gentleman by the name of Bob Fenton as the chief Federal response coordinator there for the Maui Wildfire response and also I thought it was interesting they were the camera was panning over somewhat showing this tree this Banyan Tree you see it right there it was a metaphor for the resilience of the community there in Maui and Lahaina specifically you see that what's called a banyan tree and you heard the president say fire cannot reach its roots it still stands and we're with you as long as it takes so I thought that was quite moving and prescient and you can see there we also heard from Governor Josh Green thanking the federal government for their quick response and then you heard from the two Democratic senators from Hawaii Senator Schatz and hirono about how this has personally impacted them and you heard as well from some speakers including the Maui County mayor Bisson saying aloha is here for you the spirit of Aloha is alive and well as they will rebuild rebuild it like it was before that was a key point in the remarks today that the native Hawaiians who live there they will be very responsible in how the community is rebuilt not with outside influence you also heard from Governor green as well saying that they're going after predatory scammers who might be trying to Swindle victims unsuspectingly there so
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