U.S. House Speaker Pelosi blocks Trump speech until gov't reopens

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday informed President Donald Trump that he will not be allowed to deliver an annual State of the Union address in the House chamber until a partial government shutdown ends.

In a letter to Trump, Pelosi said: "I am writing to inform you that the House of Representatives will not consider a concurrent resolution authorizing the president’s State of the Union address in the House chamber until government has opened.” Passage of such a resolution is required before the president can speak in the House.

The speech had been set for Jan. 29. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)