Pelosi asks Trump to postpone State of the Union over shutdown

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) asked President Trump on Wednesday to delay his State of the Union address set for Jan. 29 until after the government reopens.

Pelosi said because the Secret Service is the lead agency for security and it has not been funded due to the shutdown, the address should be put off. 

As an alternative, Pelosi said Trump could consider doing the State of the Union in writing.

{mosads}“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,” Pelosi wrote in the letter to Trump.

The partial government shutdown began on Dec. 22 after Trump rejected a Senate bill that provided funding for a number of agencies through the fiscal year, while keeping the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) running through Feb. 8. 

Trump opposed the bill because the DHS portion did not include money for his border wall. 

The House, then led by Republicans, approved a bill in December, after Trump torpedoed the Senate bill, that provided $5.7 billion for the wall and border security. Senate Democrats blocked that bill. 

The two sides have made little if any progress since then to end the 26-day shutdown, the longest in U.S. history. 

Roughly 800,000 federal workers are furloughed or working without pay as a result of the shutdown.