US Republicans say State of the Union is fine, hit back at Dems
Print Edition
US President Donald Trump鈥檚 Republican allies are dismissing as a political ploy House Speaker Nancy Pelosi鈥檚 request that the president postpone his planned State of the Union address.
A grand Washington ritual became a potential casualty of the partial government shutdown as Pelosi asked Trump to postpone his January 29 State of the Union speech.
In a letter to Trump, Pelosi said that with both the Secret Service and the Homeland Security Department entangled in the shutdown, the president should speak to Congress another time or he should deliver the address in writing.
Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen denied anyone鈥檚 safety is compromised, saying Wednesday that both agencies 鈥渁re fully prepared to support and secure the State of the Union.鈥
Trump did not immediately respond to the request, and the White House, thrown off guard by the move, didn鈥檛 immediately offer any official response.
But GOP allies accused Pelosi of playing politics, with Republican Representative Steve Scalise tweeting that Democrats are 鈥渙nly interested in obstructing @realDonaldTrump, not governing.鈥
The uncertainty surrounding the speech also underscored the unraveling of ceremonial norms and niceties in Trump鈥檚 Washington, with the shutdown in its fourth week, the White House and Democrats in a stalemate and the impasse draining the finances of hundreds of thousands of federal employees.
Pelosi issued the customary invitation to Trump weeks ago. She left unclear what would happen if Trump insisted on coming despite the welcome mat being pulled away. It takes a joint resolution of the House and Congress to extend the official invitation.
Trump stayed quiet on the request throughout the day. During an Oval Office visit, Senator Rand Paul said they discussed the shutdown but the president did not offer any reaction to Pelosi鈥檚 suggestion to put off the speech.
Paul suggested on Twitter yesterday that Trump deliver the address in the Senate, where Republicans hold a majority, which would be an unusual move.
鈥淚f Mrs. Pelosi refuses to allow the president to deliver the State of the Union in the House, I propose we move it to the Senate and make it happen!鈥 Paul said.
As he weighs a response to Pelosi, Trump could not go forward with a State of the Union address in Congress without her blessing. Donald Ritchie, former historian of the Senate, said that anytime a president comes to speak, it must be at the request of Congress. Trump could opt to deliver a speech somewhere else, like the Oval Office, but it would not have the same ritualistic heft.
Pressure on Trump intensified on Wednesday as lawmakers from both parties scrambled for solutions. At the White House, Trump met a bipartisan group of lawmakers, as well as a group of Republican senators, but progress appeared elusive.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
