Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi asked President Donald Trump on Wednesday to delay his State of the Union address until after the government shutdown ends.
In a letter to the president, Pelosi suggested that they move the State of the Union address from January 29 to a date after the government has re-opened. She also gave the president the option of delivering the address in writing on January 29.
"A State of the Union address has never been delivered during a government shutdown," said Pelosi in her letter.
According to Pelosi, preparing for and executing the State of the Union address requires "weeks of detailed planning with dozens of agencies working together to prepare for the safety of all participants." The Secret Service is one of the main agencies to lead the coordinating, but it hasn't been funded during the government shutdown, Pelosi said.
The White House did not immediately respond to Pelosi's request.
The partial government shutdown entered its 26th day on Wednesday. Pelosi suggested in her letter that the State of the Union could continue as planned if the government re-opens this week. But that seemed unlikely as negotiations over border security remained deadlocked.
Trump has not moved off his demand to have Congress provide $5.7 billion to build his promised border wall with Mexico. Democrats say they will discuss border security once the government has reopened, but Pelosi is refusing money for the wall they view as ineffective and immoral.
Contributing: Associated Press
