Pressure is mounting on Senator Scott Brown to deliver on his media comments last week that he was ready to push through an E3 bill,which would give 10,500 non-immigrant visas a year to the Irish, renewable every two years.

Brown the Massachusetts Republican was in discussions with Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa who has put a hold on a combined hi-tech workers and Irish E3 visa bill in the senate.

Irish Central understands that Grassley has raised three objections to the Irish part of the bill and that Brown as yet has not worked out the impasse.

The two bills have been considered together. The  hi-tech bill which would help Indian and Chinese workers easily passed the House. However Senator Chuck Schumer, (D-NY) added the Irish bill in the senate.

Democratic sources told Irish Central that they believed Brown could win support for the bill because of the politics involved.

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Brown faces a tough battle in the senate race against his Democratic opponent Elizabeth Warren.

The Boston Globe reported a poll on Tuesday that poll showed the pair neck and neck with Warren on 46 per cent and Brown on 43 per cent.

Supporters of the bill believe that Brown could make a very strong case to both Grassley and Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell that he needs the bill to bolster his support back home with Irish Americans.

“We don't believe he has made this argument yet,”said the Democratic source...”we don’t know if he will”.

Last week Brown told the Boston Herald that the bill was “ready to pop” but there has been little activity since.

What Brown does next will decide its fate. Fifty three Democrats are on board and a handful of Republicans. It needs sixty votes to defeat a filibuster.

Two GOP senators David Vitter of Louisiana and Jeff Sessions of Alabama have indicated they oppose the bill but it does not appear to be a high priority for them.