California Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, cancelling the State of the Union address to the Congress until the government has reopened.
The move came in response to an announcement a few hours earlier by Trump who sent her a formal acceptance letter on Wednesday, saying “I will be honoring your invitation and fulfilling my Constitutional duty, to deliver important information to the people and Congress of the United States of America regarding the State of our Union.”
That sparked a response from the Speaker, officially cancelling the president’s address.
“When I extended an invitation on January 3rd for you to deliver the State of the Union address, it was on the mutually agreed upon date, January 29th. At that time, there was no thought that the government would still be shut down.
“I am writing to inform you that the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened,” she wrote.
“Again, I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has been opened.”
The letter came in response to Trump’s announcement that he would deliver the State of the Union address on time and at the announced venue, despite Pelosi’s “suggestion” in a prior letter that he reconsider delivering the address due to alleged security concerns stemming from the partial government shutdown.
“If we can handle Iraq, we can handle the middle of Washington and the very spectacular building and a beautiful room that we should be in and that’s where it’s been for a long time,” Trump replied.