Exclusive: Nancy Pelosi to present Richie Neal with Irish American Democrats' award

Representative Richie Neal is being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Irish American Democrats

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi will present Congressman Richie Neal with the Irish American Democrats' annual Lifetime Achievement Award at an event in Washington DC on October 16th.

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The presence of Pelosi, one of the most sought after speakers in America, a woman at the very heart of the impeachment crisis, is a major coup for the Irish American group.

Importantly, Pelosi’s presence again reinforces her vital support for Ireland in the matter of Brexit.

Irish American Democrats Chairman Stella O’Leary stated her group was delighted and privileged to have Nancy Pelosi present to such a great supporter of Irish America and Ireland as Richie Neal, Chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee.

Neal has been very influential in ensuring that leading figures in the Democratic Party such as Speaker Pelosi have spoken up in support of the Good Friday Agreement in the Brexit debate.

He accompanied Pelosi on a trip to the Irish border in Ireland earlier this year.

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Rep. Richie Neal, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and other US politicians at the Northern Irish border (Getty Images)

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Neal remembered: "On the trip over, I mentioned to Nancy Pelosi my concern that they would try to talk us into avoiding the border. And she said, 'We are going to the border.' And she went, and stood there. She walked across it. And nobody was confused when she was done talking about American foreign policy in relation to Brexit, saying that Congress would block any new trade deal with the U.K. if Britain’s exit from the E.U. threatened the peace in Northern Ireland.

"We were advised that if the North goes [leaves the U.K.], then Scotland will go. And our response was, “It’s self-determination.” The Good Friday Agreement says that there could be a referendum question [on a united Ireland], and the greater number will prevail."

For information on tickets to the event, visit the Irish American Democrats website.

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