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Pelosi Asks Trump to Delay State of Union Address Until Shutdown Crisis Resolved

© AP Photo / Andrew HarnikFrom left, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., accompanied by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, speaks at a news conference on American labor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017
From left, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif., accompanied by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, speaks at a news conference on American labor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2017 - Sputnik International
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called on President Donald Trump on Wednesday to delay his State of the Union address until an agreement can be reached to end the partial shutdown and reopen the federal government.

"Given the security concerns and unless government re-opens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after the government has re-opened for this address," Pelosi wrote in a letter to Trump.

She also suggested that if Trump still wants to deliver his speech on January 29, as it is scheduled now, he should hand it over to the Congress in written form.

The US Congress building is seen at dusk on the eve of a possible government shutdown as Congress battles out the budget in Washington, DC, September 30, 2013. - Sputnik International
Democrats Refuse to Attend Working Lunch to End Shutdown - White House

Pelosi explained that her position stems from security concerns. The US Secret Service is responsible for security at such major events as a presidential address, but it has not been funded for 26 days now due to the federal government shutdown, she said.

As the US House speaker, Pelosi has the privilege of inviting the president to deliver his address to the US Congress.

READ MORE: US House Dems Launch Website Dedicated to Americans Affected By Govt Shutdown

Wednesday marked day 26 of the longest federal government shutdown in US history amid a political stalemate over border security funding that has no end in sight. The partial government shutdown started on 22 December after congressional Democrats refused to approve a spending bill that allocated $5.7 billion to build a wall on the southern border that President Donald Trump has demanded.

READ MORE: Backing for US Border Wall Hits Record High — Poll

It has already cost the US economy around $3.6 billion, Standard & Poor's Chief US Economist Beth Ann Bovino said in a statement on Friday. The S&P estimate also indicates that a shutdown lasting for two more weeks would cost the US economy nearly $6 billion, exceeding the $5.7 billion sought by Trump for his much-anticipated border wall project.

READ MORE: Govt Shutdown Exacerbates Decline of US Housing Market — Wall Street Analyst

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