Mr. Ciarán Staunton:

-----in between. Regardless of the figures, let us get on with it. They are Irish people so let us help them out. That is where that came in.

On the E3 visas, they are leftovers from the Australian E3 visas. This is a bilateral agreement between Australia and America. Since Australia was not choosing all of the E3 visas, some of our people and the embassy and others came up with the idea that perhaps Ireland could avail of the unused visas. The leadership came together with Irish America and the embassy. It was agreed with Speaker Pelosi and the Senate leadership that instead of opting for legislation, they would put it through on a unanimous consensus voice vote. That means no one can object. Congressman Richard E. Neal, my friend from Springfield, brought it to the House in March 2020. It was all set to go through the Senate. Everyone in both parties had agreed to it. Then, Senator Tom Cotton from Arkansas, pulled out the "No" vote to stop it. One “No” vote is all it takes. That means it did not get out there. We had to allow time to filter before last time to see if there was some way we could get Senator Cotton to walk back his “No” vote for a future run at it. Prior to this, we had the same issues with Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa. He just put up a “No” vote. That is all they have to do, and then everything is dead. We hope that there will be a road to Damascus for Senator Cotton. Anyone who follows him says that they do not know how much prayer it will take to turn him.

I thank the Chairman for all of his work. We have dealt with him before. The atmosphere at the time when he was in the United States was fairly difficult. We think that the atmosphere has improved. We have dealt with President Biden over the past 20 or 30 years in Dublin, in the US Embassy in Ireland and with the leadership. He was down in Mayo last year. There are many great contacts there. Unfortunately, it has to come through the legislative process in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Senate is tied 50-50. For most things to get through, they need 60 votes. That means they need the agreement of ten Republicans for everything. They can hardly even get them in respect of the construction world at the moment. That is good money going back into constituencies.

I would never want to say that I am not positive, because no pessimist ever came to America. However, it will take a lot of turning again in the fall, after they come back and get those couple of Bills through. Whether or not they will go with a grand Bill in the form of an immigration reform Bill, which includes agriculture workers, the dreamers and some of the other ones, along with the others who are there. I am not sure yet, Chairman, what that is going to come to. Obviously, we are sitting watching it. I will-----