Secret Service Ready for SOTU Despite Government Shutdown

The United States Capital Building in Washington DC

The United States Capital Building in Washington DC

On Wednesday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote a letter to President Trump telling him that he should reschedule his State of the Union address because of “security concerns.” [1] By Wednesday evening the secret service announced that they could, in fact, secure the House chamber for President Trump’s speech.

All About Security

On Wednesday morning Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter off to President Trump stating that he should reschedule his State of the Union address or submit it to Congress in writing. She cited “security concerns” from the ongoing government shutdown as the reason for him to postpone or cancel his speech.

Later that day Secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen, stated that the U.S. Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security were “fully prepared” to secure the State of the Union.

And Nielsen wasn’t the only one who came back to dismiss what Pelosi had said about security.

House Minority Whip, Steve Scalise, got straight to the crux of the matter on Wednesday when he told reporters that “There are no security concerns that have been raised and that has nothing to do with that.” Scalise continued, referencing the 25th day of the government being shutdown, by saying “Ironically, it seems like she’s only concerned about security when it’s a State of the Union that will expose what this fight is all about.” [2]

A Different Plan

Although at first glance, the letter seemed to be a sly move on Speaker Pelosi’s part to get the government re-opened, there are some who think it wasn’t the best move.

Republican Senator John Kennedy from Louisiana not only described her letter as being “petty” but also mentioned that it could backfire politically. “I don’t want to see it happen, but as a political matter I strongly encourage her to keep doing it,” Kennedy said. “I think she must think the American people are stupid. It’s petty, and most people are going to see that it’s petty. And I strongly encourage her. Politically, it’s great for us,”

And what did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have to say in return to Homeland Security or the Secret Service? She clearly stated her opinion to reporters on Wednesday evening saying that she “doesn’t care” if the Secret Service is prepared to secure the State of the Union address despite the government being shut down. [3]


Notes:

  1. ^Pelosi Urges Trump to Reschedule State of the Union Address – Alton MO.” Alton MO, 16 Jan. 2019, www.altonmo.com/politics/government/pelosi-urges-trump-to-reschedule-state-of-union-address-20190116. (go back  ↩)
  2. ^Crowe, Jack. “Pelosi Says She ‘Doesn’t Care’ After DHS Contradicts Claim that SOTU Should be Cancelled.” National Review, 17 Jan. 2019, www.nationalreview.com/news/pelosi-says-she-doesnt-care-after-dhs-contradicts-claim-that-sotu-should-be-cancelled. (go back  ↩)
  3. ^Picket, Kerry. “Pelosi Slams DHS Claim Of Being Prepped For SOTU: ‘I Don’t Care What They Said.’” Pelosi Slams DHS Claim Of Being Prepped For SOTU: ‘I Don’t Care What They Said’, 17 Jan. 2019, dailycaller.com/2019/01/16/pelosi-slams-dhs-claim. (go back  ↩)

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