On the recordJuly 10, 2014
I wish to take a moment to congratulate two long-time friends. Sixteen years ago, after moving to America, Billy Lawless and Anne O'Toole Lawless today became citizens of the United States of America. This is a cause for celebration, not just for Billy and Anne but for the entire city of Chicago. You see, the Lawless family is part of the restaurant royalty in Chicago. Billy and Anne and their four grown children--Billy, Jr., Amy, John Paul, and Clodagh--own and operate three of the best-loved--and my favorite--restaurants and pubs in Chicago. They are going to open another set very soon. Good food, good fun, great people, that is what the Lawless restaurants are all about. Billy Lawless is also a tireless and eloquent advocate for immigration reform. One of the great heroes of Irish mythology is a benevolent giant by the name of Finn McCool, a great defender of Ireland. In his younger days, Billy Lawless was a championship rower. At 6- foot-2, with a broad rower's chest and strong arms, he looks a little bit like Finn McCool. And he is chairman of the group called Chicago Celts for Immigration Reform. But it is not just Irish immigrants Billy cares about. Billy Lawless understands that America's history of welcoming immigrants from across the globe--and he knows; he is part of it--is what makes our Nation great. He is a great defender not just of the rights of Irish immigrants but all immigrants.…
