(14 Mar 2019) The annual Friends of Ireland celebration on Capitol Hill celebrated St Patrick's day early Thursday.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi welcomed President Donald Trump and visiting Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar to a gathering that shared laughs and honored the long relationship between the two countries.
Pelosi used the words of Republican President Ronald Reagan to raise the issue of immigration as Trump listened.
"If we ever close the door to new Americans our leadership in the world would soon be lost, " Pelosi told the audience.
Her comments came just hours before the Republican-controlled Senate was expected to rebuke the Republican president for declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Democratic-run House, led by Pelosi, voted last month to block the declaration.
Trump thanked the Irish leader for briefing him on his perspective on Britain leaving the European Union.
The Irish Prime Minister paid tribute to the Congress for its support, "at this critical time to help us to protect and ensure that there is no return to a hard border on the island of Ireland, whatever else may happen as a consequence of Brexit."
British lawmakers were deciding Thursday whether to seek a delay to Brexit, which is currently scheduled for March 29.
Trump commented as he welcomed Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar to the White House for an early St. Patrick's Day celebration.
St Patrick's Day falls on Sunday, March 17th.

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