"The [refugee] situation is not new, and our effort to try to assist those countries that are bearing the brunt of this situation is not new," Earnest stated. "But it does appear that this situation is worsening, and that's why the United States is going to continue to consider additional steps that we can take to help those countries that are bearing the brunt of this burden right now."
Earnest explained that some of the additional steps could require congressional approval, but added that Washington had already provided "significant financial support."
In recent months, hundreds of thousands of migrants from the Middle East, but primarily fleeing the violence in Syria, have fled to European countries hesitant to grant them entry.
More than 340,000 refugees have traveled to EU borders between January and July, three times higher than the same period last year, according to Frontex, the EU external border protection agency.
