"There is still work to be done" - Irish Americans urge Trump to appoint Special Envoy

The Ad Hoc Committee to Protect the Good Friday Agreement and a bipartisan group of members of US Congress have issued letters to US President Donald Trump urging him to appoint a Special Envoy to Northern Ireland.

During his first term, Trump appointed former Representative Mick Mulvaney to the role of Special Envoy. Mulvaney, who was Trump's White House Chief of Staff and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before becoming Special Envoy, stepped down from the position on January 7, 2021, the day after the riot at the US Capitol. 

The role went unfilled until US President Joe Biden - after similar urging from Irish American groups and bipartisan members of Congress - appointed Joe Kennedy III to the position in December 2022. Kennedy's tenure concluded when Biden exited the White House after the 2024 election.

The role is now, again, unfilled.

In its letter, the Ad Hoc Committee urges Trump to appoint a Special Envoy with a broad remit both politically and economically.

“There has always been a strong bipartisan Congressional coalition in support of appointing a Special Envoy and every President, Republican and Democrat, has done so," former Representative James T. Walsh (R-NY), co-chair of the Ad Hoc Committee, said.

"The United States has put a spotlight on the Good Friday Agreement for years and with good reason. 

Walsh added: “The peace has been fragile, the devolved government has been stood down at times, paramilitary gangs still operate and legacy issues remain.

"Yet, through all the ups and downs the United States has acted as a stabilizing force. The Good Friday Agreement matters deeply to Irish America.

"Most recently, Irish America worked successfully to protect the Good Friday Agreement and prevent a hard border during recent economic negotiations between the UK and the EU ultimately leading to the Windsor Agreement."

Former Representative Bruce A. Morrison (D-CT), also a co-chair of the Committee, added: “I have been working on the peace process since 1987 and we have had many setbacks along the way. Yet the unwavering support of the American people, the Congress and the White House has been an enormous factor in bedding down the peace process.

"There is still work to be done.”

The Ad Hoc Committee further encouraged President Trump to visit Northern Ireland should he accept the invitation from King Charles for a State Visit.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, March 6, Representative Bill Keating (D-MA), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Europe in the US House of Representatives, led 36 bipartisan colleagues in also writing to Trump urging him to appoint a Special Envoy to Northern Ireland.

Keating said: “Almost 27 years ago, the United States played a historic role in brokering the Good Friday Agreement that ended 30 years of violence during the Troubles and set Northern Ireland on a peaceful path based on cross-community consent.

“While issues of legacy and reconciliation remain, Northern Ireland has since made enormous progress and has become a key player in transatlantic trade at the center of the United Kingdom and European Union markets.

"Appointing a Special Envoy is critical to safeguarding US economic interests in the region, furthering ongoing efforts on legacy and reconciliation, and building on the historic partnership forged in the Good Friday Agreement.”

Keating's fellow signatories are Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick, Richard Neal, Mike Kelly, James P. McGovern, Michael V. Lawler, Madeleine Dean, Dina Titus, Kevin Mullin, Jonathan L. Jackson, Frank Pallone, Jr., André Carson, Brendan F. Boyle, Stephen F. Lynch, Timothy M. Kennedy, Mike Quigley, Gerald E. Connolly, Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Steve Cohen, Ritchie Torres, Thomas R. Suozzi, Gabe Amo, Jim Costa, Mary Gay Scanlon, Julie Johnson, James C. Moylan, Seth Magaziner, Val Hoyle, Summer L. Lee, Nicole Malliotakis, Laura A. Gillen, Sarah McBride, Sharice L. Davids, Chellie Pingree, Lloyd Doggett, Paul D. Tonko, and Jake Auchincloss.

The letter from the Ad Hoc Committee to Protect the Good Friday Agreement:

Dear Mr. President: 

Congratulations on your victory in November and your return to the White House last month. The Ad Hoc Committee to Protect the Good Friday Agreement looks forward to working with the Trump Administration, and we are writing to encourage you to appoint a US Special Presidential Envoy for Northern Ireland, as you did in your first term. 

We believe you have a unique and timely opportunity to create new economic and national security links to Northern Ireland while at the same time reaffirming our nation’s ongoing commitment to the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement (GFA). Doing so would help to cement your foreign policy power and legacy. 

A Special Envoy would also serve to help the Trump Administration leave a lasting mark on the Irish peace process and the GFA, which is widely understood as a seminal achievement of US foreign policy with broad, bipartisan support. Though the GFA was signed nearly twenty years ago, there are still critical elements that have yet to be implemented. The Trump Administration and your Special Envoy could help to encourage this important, final process of implementation. 

A Special Envoy would also pave the way for American businesses to capitalize on the economic opportunities created by Brexit. The UK/EU Withdrawal Agreement leaves Northern Ireland in the unique position of simultaneously being part of the free trade areas within the UK, while also remaining in the EU single market. American investments position US businesses at the intersection of both markets. 

Plus, Northern Ireland has uniquely lucrative sectors in cybersecurity, gold as well as critical minerals, and filmmaking. The epic series “Game of Thrones” was filmed in Northern Ireland and Studio Ulster’s new virtual production studio would increase market access for American film companies to both the UK and EU. Mark Burnett, your new Special Envoy to the UK, would certainly be able to offer great advice on future possibilities in this area.

Appointing a new Special Envoy could also help create opportunities to deter the growing threat of Russia's “shadow fleet,” which seeks to damage vital underwater cables in the area. During WWII, the port of Londonderry was one of the US Navy’s most vital bases during the Battle of the Atlantic, and 300,000 American soldiers trained in Northern Ireland in preparation for D-Day. Timely port calls by the US Navy to Derry/Londonderry, which the Special Envoy could help facilitate, would send a clear signal that the US is prepared to challenge the presence of foreign adversaries in the Irish and Baltic Seas. 

A Special Envoy should have the greatest ability to act on your behalf if they were given a broad remit in terms of economic investment, national security, supporting the legislative assembly at Stormont, and the remaining legacy issues of the conflict in Northern Ireland. 

Appointing a Special Envoy soon would also allow your representative to be in place to capitalize on opportunities for the US at the 153rd British Open, which will be held at the beautiful Royal Portrush golf course in Northern Ireland in July 2025. Portrush is also just a few miles from the ancestral home of President William McKinley’s family in Devrock, Co Antrim. 

Mr. President, we very much hope you will continue the excellent work of your First Administration to affirm the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement and to now take advantage of the growing opportunities for mutual economic benefit. 

The letter from the bipartisan group of members of Congress:

Dear President Trump,

As bipartisan supporters of the US relationship with Northern Ireland, we urge you to appoint a Presidential Special Envoy for Northern Ireland to strengthen our trade and investment ties and further peace and reconciliation efforts in Northern Ireland.

Almost 27 years ago, representatives of the political parties in Northern Ireland as well as the UK and Irish governments signed the Good Friday Agreement, a historic effort, facilitated by the United States, to bring peace and stability to Northern Ireland and end 30 years of violence during the Troubles. Today, the Good Friday Agreement remains the bedrock of peace and has served as a conduit for change, investment, reconciliation, and peaceful governance in Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement and the principle of consent as well as the North-South and East-West institutions it established have also strengthened relations between the UK and Irish governments as well as between those in power on the island of Ireland. These institutions only serve to help the people of Northern Ireland.

The US’s role as a guarantor for peace in Northern Ireland has roots back to the notable partnership between President Ronald Reagan and Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, and since 1995, each Administration – Democratic and Republican – has appointed a Special Envoy for Northern Ireland to serve as a key conduit for strengthening the US relationship with the people of Northern Ireland. While we recognize the importance of our missions in both London and Dublin, no name has been placed forward to protect and maintain America’s economic and diplomatic interests in Belfast.

From an economic perspective, Northern Ireland has become a key player in transatlantic trade, offering American businesses significant expansion opportunities across the technology, financial services, and advanced manufacturing sectors. Appointing a Special Envoy would safeguard US interests and signal that the US is committed to supporting business-to-business ties between the US and Northern Ireland, promoting new investments, and recognizing Northern Ireland’s unique status within the United Kingdom.

Today, Northern Ireland sits at the center of both the United Kingdom and European Union markets and has made tremendous political progress, both since the restoration of devolved government last year and in the nearly 27 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

Yet, Northern Ireland still faces many challenges including promoting further economic development as well as peace and reconciliation efforts. The uniquely influential role of Special Envoy for Northern Ireland is essential not only to promote US interests in the region but also to help the people of Northern Ireland build on the legacy of the Good Friday Agreement and overcome these ongoing challenges with an eye to a more prosperous future.