ICYMI: As President Biden Travels To Maui, Biden-Harris Administration Details Latest Actions to Support Communities Impacted by Wildfires

Ahead of President Biden's travel to Maui, Biden-Harris Administration officials detailed the robust federal efforts to ensure Maui gets the support it needs in this time of grief and recovery. National and local outlets spotlighted President Biden's actions as senior Administration officials including Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and DHS's Marcus Coleman took to TV, speaking directly to the people of Maui on the federal government's efforts and the President's travel.

See coverage below:

Secretary Mayorkas on MSNBC – August 21

MAYORKAS: We have more than 1,000 people on the ground there going door to door, information and survivor support centers. Our footprint is extraordinary there. We are there now, and we will be there tomorrow and throughout the long-term recovery. 

Michael Kikukawa, White House Assistant Press Secretary on KGMB/KHNL (CBS/NBC Honolulu, HI) – August 21

KIKUKAWA: President Biden's first priority is to speak to members of the community who have been impacted by this awful tragedy and to get an update from officials on the ground, federal, state and local officials. He'll also have an opportunity to speak with firefighters, other emergency management professionals and say thank you. His purpose is to be there, to say to the community: 1) we hear you, 2) we'll do everything you need, and 3) we'll be here for as long as it takes. We're not going to forget Maui.

Marcus Coleman on KGMB (CBS Honolulu, HI) – August 21

 
COLEMAN: It's really important for us to make sure that we are closely integrated with the state and with the communities and will continue to do so.

ABC News: President Biden, first lady to visit Maui and hear from survivors after devastating wildfires

President Joe Biden will visit Maui on Monday to observe the damage and recovery from devastating wildfires on the Hawaiian island that started earlier this month.

Last week, the president vowed the federal government's aid to Hawaii would be continuous.

"We will be there in Maui as long as it takes," Biden said while in Milwaukee for an unrelated event. "As long as it takes. And I mean that sincerely."

More than 1,000 federal personnel are on the ground in Maui, including more than 450 search and rescue team members, and nearly $7 million in federal assistance has been disbursed to nearly 2,200 households, including nearly $3 million in initial rental assistance, according to a White House fact sheet sent to reporters on Saturday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has also made available more than 50,000 meals, 75,000 liters of water, 5,000 cots and 10,000 blankets and shelter supplies to the county government for distribution.

In Maui, the president and first lady Jill Biden will "meet with first responders, survivors, as well as federal, state, and local officials," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement last week.

Associated Press: The Bidens will travel to Maui to meet with wildfire survivors and first responders

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are traveling to Maui on Monday to comfort survivors of the devastating wildfires that ripped through the western part of the Hawaiian island earlier this month, as his administration responds to the devastation whose full scope is still unknown.

KHON (FOX Honolulu, HI): President Biden pledges complete federal assistance for Maui

President Biden is pledging complete federal assistance for Maui. His upcoming visit to the island is his first as president.

"My heart, my prayers, and my focus are on the victims of the Maui wildfires and their families. I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life. I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy. and throughout our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures, and traditions."

The president went on to say his administration has mobilized a "whole-of" government response effort with more than 1,000 federal personnel on the ground in Maui, including nearly 450 search and rescue team members.

Honolulu Star-Advertiser: Search and relief efforts continue as Maui prepares for Biden visit

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden left Lake Tahoe this morning and are scheduled to arrive on Maui just after 11 a.m. today to comfort survivors of the Aug. 8 devastating wildfires that leveled Lahaina.

They will be accompanied by FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and plan to meet with federal, state, and local leaders, as well as survivors from the Aug. 8 wildfire catastrophe.

"The president and the first lady will see firsthand the impacts of the devastating wildfires as well as discuss the recovery effort. While in Maui, they will also talk to survivors and thank first responders," according to a White House news release today.

"I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life," Biden said in a statement ahead of the trip. "I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy. And throughout our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures, and traditions."

Honolulu Star-Advertiser: President Biden and first lady to tour Lahaina disaster zone

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrive today on a grief-stricken Maui, where the number of wildfire deaths is expected to rise considerably above the 114 being reported and loved ones need answers about the fate of an estimated 1,000 still missing.

The Bidens plan to tour devastated Lahaina by air and meet with emergency responders, survivors and community members, as well as federal, state and local officials. After landing at Maui's Kahului Airport sometime this morning they are expected to board helicopters to see the devastation of America's deadliest wildfire disaster in a century.

Following the tour, Biden will pay respects to the victims, according to the White House.

Honolulu Civil Beat: Schatz, Biden Visit To Lahaina 'Forces Action'

President Joe Biden is expected to follow in similar footsteps come Monday during an official visit to Maui to survey the destruction, meet with survivors and talk to relief workers.

Schatz said it can be hard to overstate the importance of Biden's visit.

The flames decimated Lahaina and left thousands homeless. More than 1,000 federal workers have descended on the islands to help in the recovery efforts.

The fact that Biden himself will be on hand, Schatz said, is critical to ensure that work is sustained long after the rest of the world has moved on.

"Anytime a president goes anywhere it forces action," Schatz said.

"This is the worst natural disaster Hawaii has ever experienced and this is the worst fire in America in the last 100 years. We're going to need the help of the entire United States government and not just for the next couple of years."

According to the White House, the administration has already provided more than $7 million to assist 2,200 households affected by the fire, including $3 million for rental assistance. The president also announced earlier in the week that the federal government would fully cover the cost of hazardous waste and debris removal from the fires.

The Maui News: Biden to visit site of wildfires today

President Joe Biden said on the eve of his visit to Maui today that he and first lady Jill Biden are eager to meet with first responders, spend time with families and community members and see what will be required for recovery, as the death toll in the Lahaina fire remained at 114 and five more victims were identified Sunday. 

"My heart, my prayers, and my focus are on the victims of the Maui wildfires and their families," President Biden said in a news release Sunday. "I know how profoundly loss can impact a family and a community and I know nothing can replace the loss of life. I will do everything in my power to help Maui recover and rebuild from this tragedy. And throughout our efforts, we are focused on respecting sacred lands, cultures, and traditions."

In the days after the destructive fires in West and Upcountry Maui, the president approved Gov. Josh Green's request for a major disaster declaration and authorized three Fire Management Assistance grants.

More than 1,000 federal personnel are on the ground in Maui, including nearly 450 search and rescue team members. The federal government also approved $8.2 million in assistance to more than 2,700 households, including $3.4 million in initial rental assistance.

"We will be here as long as it takes for Maui," he said.

El Diario: Joe Biden assured that he will do everything possible to help the population of Maui after fatal fires in Hawaii

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, assured today that he will do "everything in my power" to help the Hawaiian island of Maui "recover and rebuild" after the worst fires in the history of this country, which reduced it to ashes.

Today, in his statement hours before arriving in Maui, Biden listed an extensive list of actions his Administration has taken to help the island's residents.

"From day one, we immediately authorized three fire management assistance grants and as soon as Governor Josh Green requested a major disaster declaration, I signed it," he recalled.

He also noted that they have mobilized more than 1,000 federal employees to Maui, including nearly 450 search and rescue team members, among other assistance he detailed.