“Again, I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has been opened, Pelosi wrote.
This afternoon, I sent @realDonaldTrump a letter informing him that the House will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the President’s State of the Union address in the House Chamber until government has opened. https://t.co/r1oad0xEAh pic.twitter.com/kGEbayx95u
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 23, 2019
Trump described her decision as a ‘disgrace’.
America is now in the 33rd day of the longest government shutdown in the nation’s history.
Pelosi’s decision, which Trump effectively dared her to make, marks a new low in the relationship between the President and the House, as well as an escalation of the feud between the two most powerful figures in American politics.
Trump suggests he'll give "alternative" State of the Union after Pelosi blocks his address during shutdown https://t.co/BvoNjDDCvx pic.twitter.com/66Z22i9qDw
— The Hill (@thehill) January 23, 2019
President Trump says he’ll do an “alternative” event to the traditional State of the Union.
While the annual address to Congress, a constitutional obligation, has been delivered every year since 1870 it has not always been broadcast live on TV.
Previous presidents have delivered a report in writing.