Thirty-three days into partial government shutdown, US President Donald Trump and House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared to be headed for a collision on the annual State of the Union Address that was initially scheduled for January 29.
Trump in a letter to Pelosi on Wednesday had asserted that there are no security concerns as claimed by her in a January 3 letter, and as such he looks forward to seeing her at the Congress on January 29 to deliver his annual State of the Union Address.
On Thursday, Pelosi fired back with a letter of her own, telling Trump that "the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorising the President's State of the Union Address in the House Chamber until government has opened".
"Again, I look forward to welcoming you to the House on a mutually agreeable date for this address when government has been opened," she wrote.
On being told that Pelosi has rejected his State of the Union Address letter, Trump said, "I'm not surprised. It's really a shame what's happening with the Democrats. They've become radicalised."
Throughout the shutdown, now in its 33rd day, Democrats have repeatedly voted to reopen government so that federal workers can pay their bills, government services will be available to the American people, and the nation's economy will not be damaged further.
Earlier, Kellyanne Conway, top presidential advisor, told reporters at the White House that Pelosi should have taken care of things before inviting Trump for the January 29 State of the Union Address.
"Why did she issue an invitation? Why did she lie about security concerns? Why aren't you covering that? Do you think she lied about security concerns?" Conway asked reporters at the White House driveway, which of late as emerged as a place for reporters to ask questions to senior administration officials.
"Honestly, the Secret Service and DHS affirmed to the president even before he asked that there are no security concerns and they have since confirmed that publicly to all of you. But you just let that go that she lied about the security concerns," she said.
Conway said Trump's letter to Pelosi "was incredibly gracious to not mention that and just say to her thanks. I accepted your invitation. I plan on coming".
Trump, she said, wants everybody to have certainty about Tuesday night that he intends to go to the chamber in Congress and deliver his State of the Union to the entire nation. "He hopes that the speaker and the caucus will be there," she said.
First Lady Melania Trump is inviting her guests as every first lady does, Conway said, and hoped that the speaker will not deny seats to her guests.
Responding to questions, she appeared to be against Trump holding a rally somewhere else in the country instead of the State of the Union.
"Why would the President hold a rally when he can go and address the entire country," she said.
"The big question is what are you afraid of him saying? Are you afraid of him quoting Democrats who have talked about how walls and barriers work? Are we afraid of talking about the number of illegal aliens who were stopped or drugs from coming in in places like Tucson and San Diego and tell them that walls have been erected successfully," she said.
Conway alleged that Pelosi is worried that some of the members in the chamber would not show up. "That's not an embarrassment to the President. It's an embarrassment to her that she'd be there if they don't want to applaud," she said.
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