The US Senate leader has said he hopes the new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland “clears the way” for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to return to power-sharing.
Chuck Schumer was speaking at a gala dinner in the US, attended by senior politicians from Northern Ireland.
He praised the “sometimes spluttering” progress made to achieve peace.
And he added: “I say to all parties in the north, but especially the DUP, let’s get to the people’s business.”
Stormont’s five party leaders and high-profile Irish politicians were among several hundred guests at the dinner on Wednesday night.
They are in the US for a series of events ahead of St Patrick’s Day.
Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar used his speech to say he hoped the DUP would “take the path that leads towards the restoration” of devolved government at Stormont.
Asked whether he was feeling pressure to return to Stormont after the dinner, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said: “Not at all.
“I think we have a very receptive audience here that understands the need to ensure there is proper balance and cross-community consensus is key to moving Northern Ireland forward,” he said.
Biden visit ‘will stretch police’
Ahead of the of US President Joe Biden to Northern Ireland next month, Chief Constable Simon Byrne has said police resources will be stretched to cover it.
Mr Biden’s first official visit to Northern Ireland will mark the 25th anniversary Good Friday Agreement peace deal.
Speaking to BBC News NI in Washington DC, Mr Byrne said hundreds of extra officers, some of them specialists, would be drafted in from across the UK.
Mr Byrne added that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) would need extra cover to deal with day-to-day policing pressures during the visit.
“If you think of the busy period across our summer months we don’t normally ask for help from other parts of the UK,” he said.
The chief constable said that despite the pressure, the PSNI was a strong and resilient organisation that was proud to play its part in commemorating the agreement’s anniversary.
“We’ve shown time and time again that we can step up to the challenge, even in tough times,” he said.
Mr Byrne is in Washington for events to mark St Patrick’s Day and said he had told investors that Northern Ireland was the safest part of the UK.
The date of Mr Biden’s visit has not been confirmed but there is speculation he could attend a conference at Queen’s University Belfast, which runs from 17 to 19 April.
Former US President Bill Clinton and his wife, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have both confirmed they will be attending.
Other high-profile figures are also believed to have received invites.
In January the PSNI announced it would reduce staff by 6% over the coming months.
The force, which is not recruiting in 2022-23, said the cut would leave it with 6,700 officers, making it the smallest it has ever been.
Source: BBC
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