[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 24, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H601]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CELEBRATING NEW SHIPPING ROUTE TO IRELAND

  (Ms. SCANLON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, as we emerge from the darkest months of the 
COVID-19 pandemic and some pretty brutal weather, I rise today to offer 
some good news and to celebrate a development that is bringing jobs and 
economic development to my district, along with a renewed connection to 
our shared heritage with the island of Ireland.
  Since the founding of our country, the Philadelphia region has been 
known for some of the best ports and shipyards in America. Also since 
that time, our area has been home to one of the largest groups of 
native Irish and their descendants in North America. Fully 20 percent 
of the people in my congressional district claim Irish heritage, 
including myself.
  Over the years, this robust community has developed strong 
relationships with Irish educational, cultural, and business 
institutions, including through the Irish American Business Chamber & 
Network.
  Therefore, I am very proud and excited to celebrate the new weekly 
shipping route between the Port of Chester in Delaware County and Cork, 
Ireland, which will expand our region's leadership as an entryway to 
America. In addition to bringing critical medical, pharmaceutical, 
food, and raw material supplies to the East Coast, the shipping route 
is supporting good-paying jobs and a long-hoped-for renaissance in 
Chester's riverfront economy, which can be an economic driver for our 
entire region.
  I am excited to continue working with my colleagues in the Friends of 
Ireland Caucus and to increase our ties with Ireland, grow our economy, 
and create good-paying jobs.

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