U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal said the U.S. should take a greater role in the refugee crisis in Europe and the Middle East developing from the Syrian civil war and ISIS terrorism.
Blumenthal said on Sunday that the nation should "show international leadership" to ensure humanitarian aid is reaching the refugees and also press Saudi Arabia and other Middle East allies to help with aid and diplomacy to end the crisis.
The Connecticut Democrat is a member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee. He said the U.S. should consider expanding the number of refugees it is accepting, and offer services to screen applicants and help integrate them in local communities.
Blumenthal, son of a Jewish immigrant who fled Nazi Germany in 1935, said, "I believe deeply that all countries share an obligation to provide for refugees displaced by war and oppression."
