In the News

NORTH ADAMS, MASS. — Despite the White House’s suggestion that President Donald Trump will deliver his State of the Union Address as planned, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal offered Tuesday that details surrounding the joint congressional address -- particularly it’s location -- remain uncertain.

The Springfield Democrat, who chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, told The Republican that he’s not sure whether House lawmakers will provide the president the “accommodation” needed to give the annual address from their chamber, noting that Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked Trump to reschedule the speech due to the partial federal government shutdown.

“I don’t know if the president has chosen a theme yet, or I don’t know if the president has chosen a venue for that. ... He has said he could do this from the Senate and he has said that he can do it from the Oval Office, so we’ll just have to wait and see,” the congressman said following a visit to Drury High School in North Adams.

The White House sent a letter to the U.S. House Sergeant-at-Arms asking to schedule a walk-through of the president’s joint congressional speech, the White House confirmed to various news outlets Tuesday.

A previously scheduled State of the Union dry run was postponed last week as Trump and Pelosi continued to come to blows over an agreement to end the shutdown, which began in late December.

Pelosi, in a letter sent to the White House last week, asked Trump to delay his Jan. 29 State of the Union remarks until after the partial government shutdown or to deliver them from the Oval Office.

“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 for this address or for you to consider delivering your State of the Union address in writing to the Congress on Jan. 29,” she wrote.

Pelosi added that “since the start of modern budgeting in Fiscal Year 1977, a State of the Union address has never been delivered during a government shutdown.”

Trump administration officials told Politico that the White House plans to still move forward with holding the president’s State of the Union address in the House chamber next Tuesday until Pelosi publicly cancels the event.

Officials argued that despite the speaker’s claims, the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Secret Service are prepared to secure the speech.

The shutdown, which is now the longest in U.S. history, began when the White House and congressional lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on funding for border security.

Trump has vowed to oppose any spending bill that doesn’t include his requested $5 billion for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, something Democrats have vocally rejected.