UPDATE 1-Trump says he 'looks forward' to addressing Congress on Jan. 29


Reuters | Updated: 23-01-2019 23:33 IST | Created: 23-01-2019 23:33 IST
UPDATE 1-Trump says he 'looks forward' to addressing Congress on Jan. 29

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he looks forward to delivering a State of the Union address before the U.S. Congress as scheduled on Jan. 29 in the chamber of the House of Representatives despite House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's request that he delay it due to the government shutdown.

"It would be so very sad for our Country if the State of the Union were not delivered on time, on schedule, and very importantly, on location!" Trump wrote, according to a copy of the letter to Pelosi released by the White House. Pelosi on Jan. 16 asked Trump to consider postponing the address, which is traditionally delivered in the House chamber, because part of the U.S. government is shut down. She had cited concerns about security for the event with some personnel furloughed during a month-long shutdown.

But Trump, replying to Pelosi Wednesday, brushed aside the security concerns. He said the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Secret Service had told him there would be "absolutely no problem" with the security for the speech, which is traditionally attended by both houses of Congress, most of the president's Cabinet, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and justices of the Supreme Court. (Reporting by Susan Heavey and Susan Cornwell; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Jeffrey Benkoe)

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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