Connecticut senator on ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, ICE arrests and Meta settlement

(CBS, KYMA) - Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) spoke with Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation Sunday about the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials said a Russian drone attack west of Kyiv killed at least 38 people over the weekend, with Brennan saying Sen. Blumenthal was just in Ukraine and was close to the front lines.

This prompted her to ask the senator what he can say about the situation in Ukraine, to which he said:

"This trip was exhilarating because Ukraine is clearly making progress. It's turning the tide, but it was also heartbreaking to see the toll that this war is taking. The latest attack is only one of every night's bombardment of hospitals, homes, schools. Putin is killing Ukrainians in cold blood with his missiles and bombs. And I went to Dnipro where I visited a military hospital where the most seriously wounded from the front were brought. I went back to Bucha where, at the very beginning of the war, Putin's army murdered hundreds of civilians and buried them in mass graves, and I visited with some of the children who have been abducted. But President Zelenskyy had some priorities. I called it a homework assignment that he gave me. Number one, the Russian sanctions bill. Number two, air defense to protect against exactly the kind of bombing [like what happened west of Kyiv]. And third, Starlink so that he can hit targets within Russia before they launch those deadly missiles and drones."

Brennan then brought up a CBS News report saying CIA Director John Ratcliffe was sent to Moscow, by President Donald Trump, where he told Russia to not attack NATO member states.

However, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said NATO assesses Russia is about to escalate, and said he cannot rule out provocations from Russia against a NATO member state.

When asked if he has been briefed on it, and what should the U.S. expect in the coming months, Blumenthal said:

"Without going into any classified information, I think the Ratcliffe mission could well be empty and ephemeral unless it is backed with a real show of strength. Putin is a mob thug. He understands only force and strength. And so, to send the CIA director, as President Biden did, Director Burns, to warn or try to persuade Putin with words, actions speak louder than words, largely going to be ineffective, and the Europeans understand that right now, what's needed is more air defense, the PAC-3 interceptors, more long range artillery in the HIMARS, and the kinds of aid that Ukraine needs to hit those launch sites and drone and missile manufacturing sites with Starlink that will really send a message to Putin that the United States and Europe means business. But they sense a danger of escalation that can't be met by just words, and in fact is contradicted by Elbridge Colby's mission, he's the chief under secretary for policy in the Department of Defense or War, when he went just last week and said we're reducing our troop strength.

Brennan also said the senator was a part of a team, which included the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who pushed for a "punishing package of financial measures against those who buy Russian oil."

It passed through the Senate, according to Brennan, but there are reservations in the House, including from some Democrats, like Rep. Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.), who is the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who said it was a Trojan horse for tariff authorities President Trump has repeatedly abused, and said he's concerned about giving the president more power.

This led Brennan to ask what the senator's message to the skeptics, and he said:

"First and foremost, this bill was the result of painstaking, sometimes painful negotiations with the U.S. Trade Representative, the White House, my colleagues in the House and Senate on both sides of the aisle. It passed the Senate 86 to 11. Not many measures doing that kind of successful passage these days, and it has increased authority for the president to impose scorching sanctions on the oligarchs, the financial institutions. It has measures to crack down on the shadow fleet, and it has tariff authority, but narrowly constrained to the five largest purchasers of Russian oil and gas. None of our European allies would be tariffed. And here's the main point, it is a moment of extreme urgency, for the reason that Putin may try to escalate, but also because Putin is on his heels economically. His economy is on the verge of major crisis. He has a deficit looming of $125 billion, 5% of his GDP, an interest rate of 14% on his national debt, and this kind of sanctions bill, throttling the flow of revenue to his war machine, could undercut completely his ability to wage this brutal, murderous war."

During the interview, Brennan and Blumenthal talked about ICE arrests happening in the state of Connecticut.

Brennan said ICE arrests have increased significantly in June and July nationwide.

Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Conn.), this past week, said while the president told governors he would send ICE to cities who did not ask for help, they detained dozens of people in three cities in Connecticut: Danbury, Bridgeport and Stamford, with ICE not informing those cities in advance.

When asked what he has learned, if the operations has concluded, how many people were arrested, and whether it was timed to back to school season, the senator said:

"We've learned nothing from ICE, but we know that probably about 100 were detained and arrested. Very few of them, only a fraction, maybe six or seven, have any kind of criminal history. So the administration saying that it's detaining the worst of the worst or deporting people with serious criminal history is absolutely belied by the facts. That's not what's happening. In fact, they are seizing people. Many of them have legal status in this country. They may have come here seeking asylum, and they are doing it in a way that is repugnant and inhumane. The point is cruelty. They are trying to spread terror and sow fear in a way that is destructive of those communities. I'm going to be walking through Danbury tomorrow with the mayor, and I hope to have a forum. The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has been doing spotlight forums on these abuses by ICE. I hope to have one in Danbury or in Connecticut later in the week."

Brennan and Blumenthal then talked about Meta settling a social media addiction lawsuit from states who want them to institute child safety measures.

When asked what he thinks of the settlement, and if he thinks the measures do enough to sort of obviate the need for legislation, Blumenthal said:

"This settlement is a very commendable and welcome step forward, but it is incomplete. First, because it covers only Meta, and Meta, understandably, wants YouTube and TikTok and all of social media to be covered by it. It limits only some of the addictive, harmful features that are driving toxic content at kids. It lasts for only 10 years, and it relates only to some of the addictive product design features that are so terrible. And it will not keep pace with an evolving technology. So, we still need the Kids Online Safety Act. In fact, more than ever, I'm going to be pushing with my partner, Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, who has been a staunch advocate with me, and we're hopeful that we'll get our bill through the Senate and the House."

To watch more of Brennan's interview with Blumenthal, click here.