Earl Blumenauer: “the largest refugee crisis in the world, other than the Darfur, is unfolding in Iraq. Four million Iraqis have fled…”

“the largest refugee crisis in the world, other than the Darfur, is unfolding in Iraq. Four million Iraqis have fled their homes. Two million have fled the country, and an estimated 20- to 50,000 a month or more are added to that toll. Yet the United States has been able, with all our resources, to only allow 70 Iraqis refugee status in the United States since October, only one in April, only one in May. It's time for us to accept responsibility to aid the people in this desperate plight. If there are any, any of my colleagues who have any doubt that we need to change the policy and reach out to them, I would urge that they seek out the soldiers who have returned home, who are fighting to try to save their interpreters and their guides. The heart-wrenching stories of people via cell phone trying to guide them to safety will, I hope, inspire you to action and encourage you to support bipartisan legislation, H.R. 2265, for Congress to do its job for these refugees.”