- Speaker Mike Johnson hosted President Joe Biden and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar for the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon on Capitol Hill
- The lunch followed a meeting between Biden and Varadkar at the White House
- It is one of several annual events organized around St. Patrick’s Day to honor the relationship between the US and Ireland
President Joe Biden, Speaker Mike Johnson and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar met at the Capitol on Friday afternoon for an annual luncheon celebrating the US-Ireland relationship.
The group, who were all dressed sporty for the occasion, were greeted by waiters with pints of Guinness and other Irish refreshments.
Bagpipers also reflected on the surroundings, setting a cheerful tone in the Capitol.
The annual lunch came after a White House meeting between Biden and Varadkar, where the Irish prime minister expressed his desire for a lasting ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
The two then traveled down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Capitol to meet with Republican Chairman Mike Johnson, who in February threw cold water on a resignation, saying, “Hamas will not respect a ceasefire.”
President Joe Biden (C) and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar are greeted by Speaker Mike Johnson (second from right) after arriving at the US Capitol
The leaders arrived at the Capitol to celebrate the traditional St. Patrick’s Day Friends of Ireland lunch
The trip to Capitol Hill follows a meeting between Biden and Varadkar in the Oval Office
Speaker Mike Johnson hosts Biden and Irish leader Leo Varadkar for the annual Friends of Ireland lunch at the Capitol
“We need a ceasefire as soon as possible to get food and medicine in and the hostages out,” Varadkar told Biden. “We need to talk about how we can make that happen and move towards a two-state solution.”
Biden agreed with Varadkar on the ceasefire, despite his latest position that he would support a six-week temporary ceasefire, not a permanent ceasefire that the Irish leader is pushing for.
Still, despite apparent differences over foreign affairs strategy, Johnson warmly welcomed Biden and Varadkar to the annual Friends of Ireland Luncheon hosted by the chairman on Capitol Hill.
The luncheon is just one of many annual events organized around St. Patrick’s Day to honor the relationship between the US and Ireland.
At the Capitol, leaders dined in the paneled Rayburn Room, just steps from the House floor.
Servers for the event had pints of Guinness and other refreshments ready to greet attendees.
Bagpipers also pondered the surroundings.
As crowds of tourists milled about under the Capitol dome, they seemed unaware that the president was having lunch down the hall.
Biden speaks at the annual Friends of Ireland lunch
Speaker Mike Johnson hosts Biden and Irish leader Leo Varadkar for the annual Friends of Ireland lunch at the Capitol
Biden agreed with Varadkar on Friday that there should be a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, but Johnson has remained skeptical that a withdrawal could work.
US President Joe Biden shakes hands with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar during their meeting in the Oval Office on Friday morning
The Congressional Friends of Ireland dates back to the early 1980s, when Irish-American Senators Ted Kennedy, Daniel Moynihan and House Speaker Tip O’Neil founded the group to promote peace between Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Notable lawmakers such as Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the current longest-serving Democrat in the House of Representatives, were in attendance.