WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday informed President Donald Trump that he will not be allowed to deliver an annual State of the Union address in the House chamber until a partial government shutdown ends.
In a letter to Trump, Pelosi said: "I am writing to inform you that the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the president’s State of the Union address in the House chamber until government has opened.” Passage of such a resolution is required before the president can speak in the House.
The speech had been set for Jan. 29.
Trump said on Wednesday he plans to deliver the State of the Union address in the House chamber as scheduled on Jan. 29, rejecting Pelosi's request that he delay it.
In an escalation of rhetoric that essentially dared Pelosi to disinvite him, Trump told her in a letter, which the White House released earlier Wednesday, that he was "looking forward" to giving the speech, an annual event in American politics.
"It would be so very sad for our Country if the State of the Union were not delivered on time, on schedule, and very importantly, on location!" Trump wrote.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)