Adding Ireland to E-3 Nonimmigrant Visa Program

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEAL. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Chabot and Mr. Sensenbrenner, as well as Mr. Nadler, for bringing this legislation to the floor.

Indeed, it is bipartisan in nature. It is not an effort here to go beyond what the rules currently allow in terms of the cap on visas. It would allow Irish nationals to utilize those visas that have not been exhausted by Australia.

It is, as Mr. Nadler said, not a substitute for immigration reform, however. We note today that the Pew Center has released new numbers on the issue of those who, in America, are undocumented. While these two issues are unrelated, it is important to point out that we still, in this Congress, have to come up with a solution to a long-awaited problem that we recognize across the Nation, and that is what to do about undocumented citizens.

As Mr. Sensenbrenner also pointed out, I think with great accuracy, there are few stories of immigration that can be improved upon over what Irish immigration did in America. In the aftermath of an Gorta Mor, the Great Famine, that took place in the mid-1850s, more than a million people left Ireland and immigrated to the shores of the United States, and a million starved to death on the island of Ireland.

So when you consider that the population of Ireland at that time was about 8\1/2\ million people and today it is about 6 million people, it is understandable as to what that relationship has meant. And America, to its everlasting credit, land of the free and home of the brave, welcomed them.

The story that they told in succeeding generations--first, second, third generations--of which I enjoy that same privilege, it is pretty extraordinary. I call attention to that because I still think that the rest of the world desires to send many of its best to the United States.

It is still, for all of us, this notion that, today, because of the simplicity of travel, you can move back and forth. But what is, I think, a very important component of the story that we just related, when they left, whether it was in the 1850s or, in the case of one grandmother, no return, they were in with both feet. I think what we are pointing out today is that this is still an incredibly strong relationship.

I think Mr. Sensenbrenner was right on target with the commentary that he offered about the reciprocal agreement here. We are not substituting anything. We are simply saying that, for those E-3s that are not utilized, Ireland will be able to take advantage of it.

I again point out that this relationship, for as long as I can remember, has been one of the great relationships in terms of allies that we have had in the history of America.

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