With the U.S. government shutdown dragging into its 26th day, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday urged President Donald Trump to reschedule his State of the Union address – a move that could deny the president the opportunity to use the pageantry of the speech to attack Democrats in their own chamber over the impasse.
With Trump’s address set for Jan. 29, Pelosi wrote him a letter citing security concerns because the Secret Service, which is required to provide security for the address, has not received funding during the dispute.
The standoff was triggered by Trump’s demand for a round of funding for his promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Presidents traditionally deliver the address, which lays out the administration’s goals for the upcoming year, in the House chamber before a joint session of Congress and the majority of the Cabinet.
