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Britain's Dominic Raab May Face Pressure from Pro-Irish Lobbysts During US Visit - Report

The British diplomat is travelling to the United States, where he is set to meet senior US officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as well as Democratic lawmakers.
Sputnik

UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is going to be pressured by pro-Irish lawmakers during his Washington visit this week, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.

According to the newspaper, lobbyists will want Raab to clarify whether the difficulties between the UK and the EU would make the British government return to the possibility of a "hard border" on the island of Ireland, which would mean infrastructure and checks on goods.

Earlier, the UK House of Commons passed the Internal Market Bill, introduced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, that would override part of the Withdrawal Agreement with the EU. The legislation has sent shockwaves through the Brexit negotiation process, as it proposes to roll back some of the commitments on state aid and customs checks on goods entering Northern Ireland.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said last week that US Congress will not approve any trade agreement with the UK if Brexit harms the Good Friday deal. Rep Richard Nill, the chairman of the ways and means committee, also said that "any US-UK trade agreement must preserve the Good Friday agreement".

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has also "committed to preserving the hard-earned peace & stability in Northern Ireland", his adviser said on Twitter.

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