DALLAS — As far as congressman Marc Veasey is concerned, President Joe Biden’s pledge that the United States would accept 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine is just a starting point.
The United Nations says more than 3.5 million have fled Ukraine, with well over half heading to Poland, where the president recently traveled to meet with U.S. troops and humanitarian workers.
Veasey says our country can do even more.
“Let’s start at 100,000, but let’s look at doing more. We certainly can absorb a lot more than that. And I would support a higher number,” Veasey said on Inside Texas Politics.
And like much of America, the Democrat from North Texas is also keeping close watch on the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court.
Watch the segment below:
He praised Jackson’s poise during intense questioning from Republicans, some of whom Veasey said intentionally brought up subjects that are completely irrelevant to her confirmation, such as critical race theory.
“I really hate that it’s become so divisive,” said the Democrat. “I think that a lot of the questioning from Republicans are, quite frankly, intentionally racially driven.”
The Senate panel will vote on Jackson’s nomination on April 4.
Congressman Veasey not only expects it to make it out of committee, he expects Jackson to be confirmed by the full Senate, even if it is a party-line vote with all Republicans opposed.
There have been some questions as to whether Democratic senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin would support the nominee. But Manchin recently affirmed his support.
And Veasey expects Democrats to remain united.
“I know both of those Senators very well. And I think that on this, that they are going to be there, they understand the importance and the historic significance of this nomination and also they understand that this is an extremely qualified person,” said the congressman.