As millions of people flee the war in Ukraine, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree praised the Biden Administration’s plan to accept up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees into the U.S. But she also said the effort shouldn’t stop there.
Pingree called Biden’s plan an important step toward increasing refugee resettlement numbers, which were sharply limited under former President Trump.
Still, she said she would like to see the U.S. accept more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, as much smaller and less affluent countries in Eastern Europe, such as Moldova, have already surpassed that number.
"This is one of the poorest countries in Europe, and they’re already meeting the quota that we just said we would take," Pingree said of Moldova.
Pingree’s remarks came shortly after her return from Eastern Europe, where she and other representatives met with government officials, military personnel, and refugees.
Refugee resettlement agencies in Maine said it’s too early to know how many Ukrainians could end up in the state, or when they would begin arriving.
