that is a fight we have to win. pm varadkarvote: you tell them the president of the united states is strongly committed to making sure we do that. thank you very much. we will bring in our delegations. thank you, for being here, folks. reporter: any comments on -- [indiscernible] senator schumer. pres. biden: senator schumer contacted my senior staff that he was going to make that speech, and he, i would not elaborate on the speech. he made a good speech. i think he expressed a serious concern,t only by him but by many members. [indiscernible] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2024] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] >> mr. president? >> mr. president? >> [indiscernible] >> this way. thank you. >> [indiscernible]

andrew: but that does not necessarily apply in the same equitable way as other conditions like alzheimer's or gop ones. and we talked about how is it as both regulators and payers -- >> we will leave this and take you live to capitol hill for the annual friends of ireland lunch. president biden, house speaker mike johnson, pm varadkarvote are attending. mike: hello. it is been loud in here. not great acoustics. this luncheon is special because it is a time when we come together in washington each year and what is unique about it and important as we look past our political differences for this moment in time and remember the

importance of peacemaking and celebrate the important friendship between our two countries the united states and ireland and today we all welcome continued efforts to promote and preserve the good friday agreement and the promise of a bright future for all the friends of ireland and certae ur hearts are heavy, in spite of the fun fellowship, because stability is threatened in europe, the middle east, and our allies and friends such as israel and taiwan fight for the right to exist. and i know everyone in this room is committed to the same thing. we know we must stand for national sovereignty and work for international peace and this is a timeurage a productive dialogue can be to respect and even when we may disagree on matters of politics and policy which is inevitable, we should all appreciated traditions like this, an occasion for thoughtful discourse where we can move beyond what yates cold polite

words, restoring trust among the people and faith in our institutions and all of us know we need that desperately right now. so today i am happy we are able to showcase the irish spirit of charity, humor, and friendship that flowshrldren and all the children and all the friends of ireland. so i had the distinct pleasure now of introducing our commander-in-chief, someone who is known everywhere as america's most famous irishman, president joe biden. [applause] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2024] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [applause] pres. biden: thank y'all very much. thank you. [applause] mr. speaker, thank you very much. i was telling the speaker at dinner, was a good friend of

a former senator from oregon, senator smith, came to me when i was vice president said, you know, i checked it out and you are able to accept this gift. i said, what is the gift? he said thely records held by the mormon church. he said we want to do, we want to do a background for you. we want to check your genealogy for you. they ended up showing up five months later with six volumes. one of them pointed out that one side of the the one that came from the county -- they started off in new orleans, and i warned them, they could've stayed. wait a minute?[indiscernible] -- in trouble. folks, look, is to speaker, folks i want you to know that -- once wrote, everything patrick's day, every st. patrick's day, every irishman goes out to find

another irishman to make a speech to. so -- [laughter] -- so thank you for allowing me to find you. it is ok. look, you know, i'm glad i found all of you because no matter how much we debate, no matter how much we disagree, we have always been able to come together as friends of ireland. and you know, the friendship goes back centuries, but today is an important period, an important milestone, nearly 100 years of diplomatic relations, nearly 100 years of ireland and the united states. so mr.■6 speaker, thank you for hosting us today. it is a tradition i have always enjoyed. thank you for joining us again. like to extend 100,000 welcomes to all the leaders who are involved in the ireland and northern ireland agreements that they now put together. and i think, i just wonder whether my mother would have ever thought that would've

happened, but it has happened, and it is great emigrate to come together once again. to all irish, americans, democrats, members, am glad to be united on this issue. we begin the next century of a real partnership that ng now. and finally, to all who wish they were irish, i'm glad you are here too. [laughter] ■4my grandfather used to say tht being irish is enough. anyway, i won't go into that. [laughter] but i stand here as a proud descendant of the finnegan's in the -- the finnegan's were from one county, and finnegan's from another county, and this pride is part of my soul and i and sure all of you who are irish and have irish ances f. in fact, many of you know my colleagues used to kid me when a certain capitol hill because i was always quoting irish poets

i was irish. i don't do it for that reason because they are the best poets in the world. that is why i quote them. [laughter] it is true. angina, i -- and it is true, and today there is one poem in particular that comes to mind written by my great grandfather, edward francis -- only the second elected as a state senator in the state of pennsylvania and 1906. -- in 1996. he wrote a book of 100 poems as what he referred to as his ireland. when he called, the work. here is what it said, no barriers to thicker strong to stay the onward march each day, a goal they seek, a goal they find, hardship for them his but we'll play. and i think together, ireland and america, they are always marching forward towards a better world, towards a better life, and one of greater

liberty, greater dignity, greater equity, opportunity, and possibilities for everybody, possibilities. i was with xi jinping a couple of years ago and he asked me could i define a and this was recorded by him as well, i said in one word. he said, what's that? possibilities. thank about it. what defines us as americans? we think anything is possible and we do it together. while together ireland and america have always moved onward for a better future, one of greater liberty, greater dignity, greater equality, opeven when those barriers seemo thick and strong, even when we face sorrows, setbacks and divisions in darkness, together we have always persevered, ireland and the united states. we have always held out hope and horizons we have not yet seen. you know, i often say the irish

were the only people in the world who are nostalgic about tomorrow. think about it. [laughter] that is an original quote, unfortunately. but thatcs is who we are. i often say that because wherever there is a yearning for freedom, where ever there is a call for progress, people around the world, they can always count on ireland in the united states to be on their side, not just for help, but to help, help them on their march forward. we see this in our support of ukraine, and the people, in the face of prudence brutal onslaught across ukraine -- putin's brutal onslaught across ukraine. we had a meeting earlier today and i told joe's grateful for ireland's unwavering aid to the people of the rain and also gaza. i committed to continue doing

our part and am confident the vast majority come excuse me for saying this, the vast majority of members of congress are willing to do their part, and continue to urge every member in this room to stand up to vladimir putin. he is a thug. [applause] thug. [applause] and, urge you to send me the national security bill that includes funding for ukraine in israel, and humanitarian assistance to gaza that they badly badly need. it's insight clear message that america stands for freedom and bow down to no one, to no one in the world. you know, i said in belfast last year where we've marked the 25th anniversary of the belfast good friday agreement, i am also committed to protecting peace and progress in northern ireland. we all know, we all know that i

assume all of us feel the same way, that includes northern ireland's newest leaders. you guys here? [applastand up. [applause] thank you. [applause] as a friend of mine from said, who would have thunk it. thank you for reminding■ us with the possibility's are as we work across the aisle and rise above long-standing disagreements. let me close with this, i think we stand at an inflection point, not only in american history, but world history where the decisions we make now will determine what the next 3, 4, 5, 6 decades will look like and i believe history is watching,

history is watching. today, let us result of march forward with each other, and to all those who seek a better future. like our ancestors, remember, no barrier is too thick or too ■çcvstrong for ireland and the united states to get through. there is nothing, nothing our nations cannot do together when we work together, and i mean that from the bottom of my heart. i am confident there is not a thing we can't do if we work together, and i say the same thing, remember, this is the united states of america. there is nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we work together, so my prayer today as we continue our work together. thank you all for having me. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [applause]

mike: thank you for your remarks, mr. president. our next guest, leading a country, the youngest to out, yu may not know this as an intern in these very halls two decades ago, and while this is my first time meeting him in person, he is no stranger to this lunch either. he has been in leadership for quite some time and has done a few of these. will you please join me in welcoming our guest of honor from the republic of ireland. [applause] pm varadkarvote: thank you.

mr. speaker, mr. president, members of congress, first minister, deputy first minister, esteemed friends and colleagues, it is an honor and a privilege to be back among friends here in washington, d.c. today. goi am thankful to the speaker r continuing the tradition of holding this lunch today. we are very appreciative. i believe ireland is the only country in the world that can get away with turning our national holiday into an international week of events, or in some places a whole month. we are unique in having a national holiday where the head of government and all the senior ministers leave the count to celebrate it around the world with our diaspora and our friends, and our allies. st. patrick's day is more than our national holiday, it is an international moment.

it is when we get to share our story with the world, a story of faith in the future matter what the obstacles, hope and our ability to work together for the greater good, and that charity towards those experiencing suffering. as the president acknowledged, since we last gathered here last year, the institutions of the good friday agreement have returned and it is hugely significant we are joined here today by the first minister in the deputy first minister. the two are from different political traditions who are showing what can be achieved working together, holding jointly a co-equal offices had that government of northern ireland. it is so go [applause] and it is really■t good to see colleagues here as well. um, members, ministers of the

northern ireland assembly, including the speaker, mr. -- also to see members of the house of commons and other members too as well, so very much seeing the three strands of the agreement and all represented here today, which makes this a special moment. and i want to be have fun all of us to think that united states -- thank the united states and members from b indeed beyond pos for what you have done to help ireland and northern ireland, a place where people can dream of coming tom's, brighter than the -- times, brighter than their grandparents. so thank you for year old and giving us back our future. we will forever remember the steadfast work of so many members of congress, democrat and republican, as well as successive administrations over the years who have made it possible.

throughout the entirety of the peace process the friends of arlen caucus have been our president friends, and on behalf of the -- ireland caucus have been our present friends, and on behalf of -- thank you for your leadership and support, something he so much. mr. speaker, someday soon, we would like to welcome you to ireland, so consider this an official invitation. we would love to show you. bless you we had the pleasure of showing president biden around the country, although he knows it so well i don't think he needed a tour guide, but a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with relatives or friends, and make new ones. mr. speaker, today, into st. patrick's day, i am thinking of the prayer of saint patrick would you alluded to earlier as we face the most complicated and difficult circumstances in the world,

problems that have no easy answers, which demand that we do our best to repel the forcdarkns and to shield our citizens. i'm thinking of st. patrick's prayer today for strength and protection against every cruel and merciless power. when i reflect on the war being waged by russia against ukraine, the light of democracy through international law and the. itself are under attack from a relentless adversary who would extinguish them. ukraine must not fall, and together we need to stand by ukraine for as long as it takes. [applause] i am also thinking of st. patrick's prayer to date when he prayed for the wisdom to guide us when i reflect on the catastrophe unfolding in the mile east, the savage attacks of october 7 in israel, and the

terrible violence and loss of human life gaza which has followed and continues, and we very much want that to end. these are global challenges that demand our courage, empathy, and action, and we pray for the wisdom of saint patrick in facing them. mr. speaker, over 100 years ago, ireland and the u.s. established diplomatic relations, the oldest community, and since then, it is a relationship that has grown on respect, friendship, and shared kinship, so thank you so much for helping us those hundred years to take our place among the nations of the world. we look forward to working with america for the next 100 years, a second century of friendship and alliance. happy . patrick's day. thank you very much. [applause]

[captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2024] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [applause] mike: thank you so much, and thank you again■2, mr. presiden. i am proud to welcome our entertainment for today. born in dublin and raised in new york city, gregory harrington is one of ireland's most well-known violinist with a wide range from jazz to crossover. he has released six critically acclaimed albums and has even opened the st. patrick's day parade on nbc in new york, and that is a big deal. last year when he gave a performance to a sold-out carnegie hall, celebrating the 20th anniversary, becoming the first irishuu violinist to ever give a full solo debut at that venue. gregory is joined by juilliard alumnus, sebastian, stephen -- and we have the pleasure of

welcoming several dancers because you can't have an irish gig without a dancer, right? ■joe, kendall, and elise have toured across the globe with numerous irish dance shows. joe is the founder and director of the district irish dance academy based here in the nation capital. please join me in welcoming these great friends of arlington stage now. [applause] [no audio]

>> mr. speaker, thank youo president, mr. speaker, ambassador, distinguished guests, in march 2013 i had the invitation to perform for the irish-american hall of fame. the honor, that they was the then vice president biden, and me being me i did not just want to play, i wanted to do something unique for him, so i did my research and i found out that his great-great-grandfather i think was -- father was a blind irish fiddler. so i found an incredible irish composer who was also blind from -- and i did a piece by him but

i reimagined and i rearranged. and after the performance, the vice president came over and he was so, so gracious in congratulating me, and we talked about loss and about yates, and about how difficult it is to be on stage and to present. and just as he was departing he leaned in and gave me a wry smile and said, greg, if i had your talent, i would be president. [laughter] so apparently, mr. president, you have this in abundance. [laughter] so what we would do today is sweet will get to some -- is get to some incredible irish music, but first we want to celebrate irish culture, and how contemporary irish culture is, and we have one of the icons, one of the greatest musical exports out of ireland, my inner

narcissist says that is me, but i digress, a piece from a 1989 album called rattle and come where the band -- hum where the band explored collaborations with others. this is the classic song, all i want is you come from the little-known band u2. ♪