A House Democratic leader said Wednesday President Trump probably won’t be delivering his State of the Union address to Congress next week unless the government shutdown ends first.
“It’s absolutely not clear about what this president’s intention is, but what I can say is unless the government is reopened, it is highly unlikely the State of the Union is going to take place on the floor of the United States House of Representatives,” Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told reporters Wednesday.
White House officials have insisted Trump still intends to deliver his address to a joint session of Congress on Jan. 29, but Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has asked Trump to postpone the event because of the shutdown.
Pelosi said Tuesday that Trump has not responded to her letter, but has asked for a security walk-through, which has not been granted so far. Pelosi’s letter was seen as a decision by her to postpone Trump’s speech, and Pelosi told the Washington Examiner Trump can deliver the address in the House chamber after the government shutdown ends.
White House officials said they would come up with another location for the president if the House does not agree to host the event.
