Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sent a letter to President Donald Trump on Wednesday asking him to postpone the State of the Union Address to a Joint Session of Congress scheduled for January 29. Pelosi cited security concerns over the partial government shutdown.
Pelosi said both the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security have not been funded for 26 days now – with critical departments hamstrung by furloughs. Therefore, they would not be ready for the speech.
Pelosi posted her letter to Trump on Twitter, saying, “Today, I wrote to @realDonaldTrump recommending that we delay the State of the Union until after government re-opens, as the @SecretService, the lead federal agency for #SOTU security, faces its 26th day without funding.” (Text version of letter below tweet.)
Today, I wrote to @realDonaldTrump recommending that we delay the State of the Union until after government re-opens, as the @SecretService, the lead federal agency for #SOTU security, faces its 26th day without funding. https://t.co/K2oL8WGvqo pic.twitter.com/g3fIlxDbbK
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 16, 2019
The Department of Homeland Security refuted the Speaker’s claims — The Secret Service is ready for the SOTU:
Senior DHS official says the Secret Service is ready for President Trump’s State of the Union on January 29 and that no one from Nancy Pelosi’s office checked with the Secret Service before requesting delay
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