- Senator Dick Durbin.
Illinois Senator Dick Durbin has called on the Senate to pass the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act, which includes a Durbin co-sponsored amendment establishing a two-year visa program for Irish citizens.
Durbin made his call after meeting with Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Washington last week.
The Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act has already passed the House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support.
"In December, Senators Schumer, Leahy and I introduced an amendment that recognizes the special relationship between the United States and Ireland. Our Irish E3 visa amendment would allow a small number of Irish citizens - 10,500 a year - to work in America for two years, pay taxes and contribute to Social Security," said Durbin.
"All 53 Democratic Senators, a solid majority of this Senate, have also pledged their support for our proposal. Despite this broad support inside and outside of Congress, at this time there is an objection on the Republican side to passing our bill.
"We want to work with
our Republican colleagues to break this impasse and
create the Irish E3 visas this year.
"As Prime Minister Kenny has said, Ireland's economy will recover from its current difficulties. But with Irish emigration higher than it has been in decades, it is in the interests of both Ireland and America that we act now, without delay, to create a fair and legal way for Irish citizens to work temporarily in America," Durbin said.
The E3 proposal is primarily supported on the GOP side of the aisle by Senator Scott Brown of Massachusetts who has drawn up his own E3 bill. However, GOP Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa has voiced objection to the bill though in most recent days he has shown signs of being more inclined towards passage of some form of Irish E3 legislation.
