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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has asked Donald Trump to delay his 29 January State of the Union address because of the partial government shutdown. In a letter to the US president, Pelosi cited
“security concerns” as the reason why she believes he should postpone appearing before a joint session of Congress, and went as far as suggesting he could “submit a written message
instead”, The New York Times says. “Sadly, given the security concerns and unless government re-opens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after
government has re-opened,” Pelosi said. SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives. SUBSCRIBE & SAVE SIGN UP
FOR THE WEEK'S FREE NEWSLETTERS From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news
briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. Politico says the letter was a “daring move, one that appeared to catch the White House
off guard”, noting that it showed exactly how Pelosi operates. “Trump may have finally met his match in Nancy Pelosi,” says the site, and by proposing he reschedule his speech she has
“pulled her most aggressive gambit yet”. The Washington Post says that the State of the Union address usually occurs at the invitation of the House speaker, and that the “House and Senate
must pass a resolution to formalise the invitation” – something that has not happened this year. Financial analysis firm S&P estimates that the shutdown cost the US economy $3.6bn from
when it started on 22 December to 11 January. Explore More Donald Trump In Brief