H2860 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE April 30, 2008 When not being a parish pastor, Rev. The gentleman from Massachusetts The Prime Minister of Ireland, es- Meador enjoys officiating high school (Mr. MARKEY); corted by the committee of Senators and youth athletics and playing golf. The gentleman from Massachusetts and Representatives, entered the Hall Welcome, Nathan. (Mr. NEAL); of the House of Representatives and f The gentlewoman from New York stood at the Clerk’s desk. (Mrs. MALONEY); [Applause, the Members rising.] ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER The gentleman from Rhode Island The SPEAKER. Members of Con- PRO TEMPORE (Mr. KENNEDY); gress, I have the high privilege and the The SPEAKER pro tempore. After The gentleman from New York (Mr. distinct honor of presenting to you His consultation among the Speaker and CROWLEY); Excellency Bertie Ahern, the the majority and minority leaders, and The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Taoiseach, Prime Minister of Ireland. with their consent, the Chair an- BOEHNER); [Applause, the Members rising.] nounces that, when the two Houses The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. meet in joint meeting to hear an ad- BLUNT); f dress by His Excellency Bertie Ahern, The gentleman from Florida (Mr. PUTNAM); Prime Minister of Ireland, only the ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY doors immediately opposite the Speak- The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. MCCOTTER); BERTIE AHERN, THE PRIME MIN- er and those immediately to her left ISTER OF IRELAND and right will be open. The gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. No one will be allowed on the floor of ROS-LEHTINEN); Prime Minister AHERN. Madam the House who does not have the privi- The gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Speaker, Senator BYRD, Members of lege of the floor of the House. Due to MCCRERY); Congress, Senator KENNEDY, Chairman the large attendance that is antici- The gentleman from New York (Mr. and Past Chairman of the Friends of pated, the rule regarding the privilege WALSH); Ireland, Mr. NEAL and Mr. WALSH, my of the floor must be strictly enforced. The gentleman from New York (Mr. distinguished predecessor as Taoiseach, Children of Members will not be per- KING); Ambassador Bruton, distinguished mitted on the floor. The cooperation of The gentleman from New York (Mr. guests: all Members is requested. MCHUGH); and Thank you for your kind introduc- The practice of reserving seats prior The gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. tion. Your invitation to address this to the joint meeting by placard will FERGUSON). joint meeting this morning honors my The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The not be allowed. Members may reserve country and honors me also. It reaf- President pro tempore of the Senate, at their seats by physical presence only firms the enduring bonds of friendship the direction of that body, appoints the following the security sweep of the and esteem between our two peoples following Senators as members of the Chamber. and between our two republics. Those committee on the part of the Senate to f bonds have been built and nurtured and escort His Excellency Bertie Ahern, the refreshed over the centuries. America RECESS Prime Minister of Ireland, into the and Ireland have something that goes The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- House Chamber: beyond a friendship between countries. ant to the order of the House of Thurs- The Senator from Nevada (Mr. REID); To be an Irishman among Americans is day, April 24, 2008, the House stands in The Senator from Illinois (Mr. DUR- to be at home. recess subject to the call of the Chair. BIN); So, Madam Speaker, I stand here be- Accordingly (at 10 o’clock and 7 min- The Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. fore you as a proud son of Ireland. And utes a.m.), the House stood in recess KENNEDY); I stand with you as a steadfast friend The Senator from Vermont (Mr. subject to the call of the Chair. of the United States of America. LEAHY); I know, Madam Speaker, like so f The Senator from Connecticut (Mr. many others assembled here, you share b 1053 DODD); The Senator from Massachusetts (Mr. many links with Ireland and with JOINT MEETING OF THE HOUSE County Wicklow in particular. A fa- KERRY); AND SENATE TO HEAR AN AD- The Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. mous son of Wicklow, the son also of DRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY an American mother, Charles Stewart CASEY); BERTIE AHERN, THE PRIME MIN- The Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Parnell, stood in this place 128 years ISTER OF IRELAND MCCONNELL); ago, the first Irish leader to do so. Par- The Speaker of the House presided. The Senator from Texas (Mr. nell turned to the United States, as The Majority Floor Services Chief, CORNYN); have many Irish leaders since, as we Barry Sullivan, announced the Presi- The Senator from Mississippi (Mr. strove to emulate the achievements of dent pro tempore and Members of the COCHRAN); and America and to vindicate the prin- U.S. Senate who entered the Hall of the The Senator from Maine (Ms. COL- ciples that inspired your Founding Fa- House of Representatives, the Presi- LINS). thers: the principles of liberty, of dent pro tempore taking the chair at The Majority Floor Services Chief equality and of justice. the left of the Speaker, and the Mem- announced the Acting Dean of the Dip- In the early part of the last century, bers of the Senate the seats reserved lomatic Corps, His Excellency Jerome Eamon De Valera came here seeking for them. Mendouga, Ambassador of Cameroon. help as Ireland struggled for her inde- The SPEAKER. The Chair appoints The Acting Dean of the Diplomatic pendence. In more recent times, many as members of the committee on the Corps entered the Hall of the House of Irish leaders have come here in the part of the House to escort His Excel- Representatives and took the seat re- quest for peace in Northern Ireland. lency Bertie Ahern, the Taoiseach, served for him. Whenever we have asked for help, Prime Minister of Ireland, into the The Majority Floor Services Chief America has always been there for us— Chamber: announced the Cabinet of the President a friend in good times and in bad. From The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. of the United States. the very outset, Ireland gave to Amer- HOYER); The Members of the Cabinet of the ica Presidents, patriots and productive The gentleman from South Carolina President of the United States entered citizens of a new nation. Beginning (Mr. CLYBURN); the Hall of the House of Representa- with the Irish-Scots in the 17th and The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. tives and took the seats reserved for 18th centuries, they came from all cor- EMANUEL); them in front of the Speaker’s rostrum. ners of our island and from all creeds. The gentleman from Connecticut At 11 o’clock and 8 minutes a.m., the The Irish helped to build America. The (Mr. LARSON); Majority Floor Services Chief an- very bricks and stones in this unique The gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. nounced His Excellency Bertie Ahern, building were quarried and carried by OBEY); the Prime Minister of Ireland. the hands of Irish immigrant laborers.

VerDate Aug 31 2005 03:12 Jun 26, 2008 Jkt 069060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 J:\CRONLINE\2008BA~2\2008NE~2\H30AP8.REC H30AP8 mmaher on PROD1PC76 with CONG-REC-ONLINE