Nancy Pelosi urges Trump to delay State of the Union address amid shutdown

The House Speaker has asked President Trump to postpone SOTU address until after the shutdown is resolved.

The State of the Union address is scheduled for January 29, 2019, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has urged President Donald Trump to delay it.

Pelosi requested that the President reschedule the address until after the government shut down ends.

“Sadly, given the security concerns and unless government re-opens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after government has re-opened for this address or for you to consider delivering your State of the Union address in writing to the Congress on January 29th.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

SPEAKER BASES REQUEST ON "SECURITY CONCERNS"

Nancy Pelosi sent an open letter to the President and asked him to postpone the scheduled State of the Union address until after the shutdown is resolved.

Pelosi's motive is the current state of the US Secret Service, which has been severely affected by the furlough of unpaid federal employees. The US Secret Service, which is badly understaffed, traditionally provides the security for the President's annual address to Congress.

800,000 federal workers are furloughed or working without pay, among them the staff of the Department of Homeland Security and the US Secret Service.

PELOSI SUGGESTS SOTU ADDRESS IN A LETTER TO CONGRESS

Pelosi presented the President with the alternative of presenting the SOTU address in the form of a letter to Congress, thus avoiding the security risks.

United States Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, responded by assuring the Speaker:

"The Department of Homeland Security and the US Secret Service are fully prepared to support and secure the State of the Union."

THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS

This would be the second time that President Donald Trump would be presenting the State of the Union Address to a joint session of the United States Congress.

Presenting the Address by letter was the norm for US Presidents, until Woodrow Wilson, started delivering the address to Congress in person in 1913. Since then, the SOTU address has become a major political event, televised and seen by millions.

THE LONGEST GOVERMENT SHUTDOWN IN HISTORY

The government shutdown now in effect started on December 22, 2018, when President Trump rejected a Senate bill that did not include the $5.7 billion he needs to fund the wall along the Mexican border.

As a result, more than 800,000 federal workers are furloughed or working without pay, among them the staff of the Department of Homeland Security and the US Secret Service.

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NANCY PELOSI FACES CRISIS

Nancy Pelosi is the only woman to have served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

The 78-year-old mother of 5 is the highest-ranking elected woman in United States history, and stands third in the presidential line of succession.

Pelosi, who has been in Congress since 1987, is a fervent Democrat, but she may facing opposition from within the Party ranks.

Before the election which gave them the majority in the House, 56% to 39% of Democrats revealed that they would prefer it if Pelosi was replaced as their leader in the House, rather than kept in that role by being elected the next speaker.

Pelosi joins Paul Ryan, John Boehner, Pelosi, Dennis Hastert, and Newt Gingrich as unpopular Speakers. Hopefully, it will noot affect her performance of her duties.

In a related story, Cher begged Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to let Trump have the money for the border wall.