House Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded to President Donald Trump’s Wednesday letter to her that he would hold his State of the Union address as originally planned on January 29 by telling the president that she “will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing” his address until he reopens the government.
Pelosi’s letter to Trump comes an hour after Trump told her in a letter that he would hold his State of the Union address as originally planned on January 29 after the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service informed him that there would be no issue with providing security for the event — which Pelosi tried to claim was reason for delaying the event. The Daily Wire reported:
In a letter to President Donald Trump, made public Wednesday morning, Pelosi admonished the president for planning to hold the annual address, claiming that a “State of the Union Address has never been delivered during a government shutdown” since the inception of modern Congressional budgeting processes in 1977.
The Speaker of the House added that since the Secret Service is included in the government furlough, Congress lacks the security necessary to hold the event, even though critical staff members are still on the job, just not receiving paychecks.
“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,” Pelosi said. “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,” Pelosi continued. “Again, I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has been opened.”
Full text of the letter:
Dear Mr. President:
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.
In my further correspondence of January 16th, I said we should work together to find a mutually agreeable date when government has re-opened and I hope that we can still do that.
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.
Again, I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has been opened.
Sincerely,
NANCY PELOSI
Speaker of the House
Fox News’ Lisa Boothe noted that Pelosi’s response letter was an indicator that the government shutdown was likely not close to ending anytime soon.
“There is serious and justified concern that this president would shut down the government any time he does not get his way legislatively,” Pelosi said in a speech on Wednesday. “That is why we must hold the line on this shutdown.”
