WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump said he is postponing his planned State of the Union address to Congress until the government shutdown is over.
He announced the dramatic change of decision within hours of rejecting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's request to delay the major Government policy speech.
'As the Shutdown was going on, Nancy Pelosi asked me to give the State of the Union Address. I agreed. She then changed her mind because of the Shutdown, suggesting a later date. This is her prerogative - I will do the Address when the Shutdown is over,' Trump said on Twitter late Wednesday night.
He added that he is not looking for an alternative venue for the SOTU Address because there is no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber.
Pelosi had withdrawn an invitation for him to address the Congress citing security concerns. The Speaker, the most powerful official in the Democrats-controlled House, said government services should fully reopen first. But Trump insisted that he will proceed with his speech.
In a letter to Pelosi on Wednesday, Trump said he was contacted by the Department of Homeland Security and the United States Secret Service to explain that there would be absolutely no problem regarding security with respect to the event. They have since confirmed this publicly.
Ruling out security concerns, Trump had said he would be honoring her invitation, and fulfilling his Constitutional duty to deliver important information to the people and the Congress regarding the State of the Union.
'I look forward to seeing you on the evening on January 29th in the Chamber of the House of Representatives,' he said in the letter, adding that it would be very sad for the country if the State of the Union were not delivered on time.
It is not clear what prompted Trump to change his mind, but the Speaker could block a vote on the resolution required to convene a Joint Session of Congress and allow the president to speak.
The crippling government shutdown entered 34th day on Thursday, as a major spat between the President and the Opposition over his plan to build a controversial border wall along the US-Mexico border continues unabated.
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