WASHINGTON (AP) — It took President Donald Trump one day to flex his executive power back at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, denying her an aircraft to visit troops abroad in apparent response to her attempt to delay his State of Union address.

The nation’s two most powerful leaders appeared to be engaged in a game of constitutional one-upmanship as negotiations to end the monthlong partial government shutdown failed to produce results.

In a letter to Pelosi on Thursday, Trump said the shutdown would have to delay her trip, which was to begin Thursday. “In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I’m sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate,” he said.

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said she planned to travel to Afghanistan and Brussels to thank service members and obtain briefings on national security and intelligence “from those on the front lines.” He noted Trump had traveled to Iraq during the shutdown and said a Republican-led congressional trip also had taken place.

The political tit-for-tat between Trump and Pelosi underscored the tension between the two leaders, both playing to their core supporters as they battle over the president’s demand for money to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall. The sparring took place as hundreds of thousands of federal workers go without pay and Washington’s routine protocols — a president’s speech to Congress, a lawmaker’s official trip — become inflamed from the budget fight.

Pelosi would normally make such a trip on a military aircraft supplied by the Pentagon. According to a defense official, Pelosi did request Defense Department support for overseas travel and it was initially approved. The official wasn’t authorized to speak by name about the matter, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official said the president does have the authority to cancel the use of military aircraft.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump wanted Pelosi to stay in Washington before Tuesday, a deadline to prepare the next round of paychecks for federal workers.

“We want to keep her in Washington,” Sanders said. “The president wants her here to negotiate.”

Trump’s move to ground the speaker came after Pelosi threatened Trump’s planned Jan. 29 State of the Union address, saying the shutdown raised concerns about whether the forum could have adequate security. Republicans said she was merely trying to deny the president the stage.

While Pelosi did not immediately respond to being denied her trip, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, Rep. Steny Hoyer, called Trump’s action “petty. It is small. It is vindictive.”

Some Republicans also expressed frustration. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted: “One sophomoric response does not deserve another.” He called Pelosi’s State of the Union move “very irresponsible and blatantly political” but said Trump’s effort was “also inappropriate.”

Trump has still not said how he will handle Pelosi’s attempt to have him postpone his State of the Union address until the government is reopened so workers can be paid for providing security for the grand Washington tradition.

Pelosi told reporters earlier Thursday: “Let’s get a date when government is open. Let’s pay the employees. Maybe he thinks it’s OK not to pay people who do work. I don’t.”

Trump declined to address the stalemate over the speech Thursday during a visit to the Pentagon, simply promising that the nation will have “powerful, strong border security.”

Pelosi reiterated she is willing to negotiate money for border security once the government is reopened, but she said Democrats remain opposed to Trump’s long-promised wall. “I’m not for a wall,” Pelosi said twice, mouthing the statement a third time for effect.

While the shutdown dragged on, the State Department instructed all U.S. diplomats in Washington and elsewhere to return to work next week with pay, saying it had found money for their salaries at least temporarily.

In a notice to staff, the department said it can pay most of its employees beginning Sunday or Monday for their next pay period. They will not be paid for time worked since the shutdown began in December until the situation is resolved, said the notice.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had raised eyebrows among the U.S. diplomatic corps last week when he proclaimed that morale at the State Department was “good” despite the shutdown and the fact that 40 percent of its employees in the U.S. and nearly 23 percent overseas had been furloughed and the rest were working without pay.</s>WASHINGTON (AP) - It took President Donald Trump one day to flex his executive power back at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, denying her an aircraft to visit troops abroad in apparent response to her attempt to delay his State of Union address.

The nation's two most powerful leaders appeared to be engaged in a game of constitutional one-upmanship as negotiations to end the monthlong partial government shutdown failed to produce results.

In a letter to Pelosi on Thursday, Trump said the shutdown would have to delay her trip, which was to begin Thursday. "In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I'm sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate," he said.

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill said she planned to travel to Afghanistan and Brussels to thank service members and obtain briefings on national security and intelligence "from those on the front lines." He noted Trump had traveled to Iraq during the shutdown and said a Republican-led congressional trip also had taken place.

The political tit-for-tat between Trump and Pelosi underscored the tension between the two leaders, both playing to their core supporters as they battle over the president's demand for money to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall. The sparring took place as hundreds of thousands of federal workers go without pay and Washington's routine protocols - a president's speech to Congress, a lawmaker's official trip - become inflamed from the budget fight.

Pelosi would normally make such a trip on a military aircraft supplied by the Pentagon. According to a defense official, Pelosi did request Defense Department support for overseas travel and it was initially approved. The official wasn't authorized to speak by name about the matter, so spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official said the president does have the authority to cancel the use of military aircraft.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump wanted Pelosi to stay in Washington before Tuesday, a deadline to prepare the next round of paychecks for federal workers.

"We want to keep her in Washington," Sanders said. "The president wants her here to negotiate."

Trump's move to ground the speaker came after Pelosi threatened Trump's planned Jan. 29 State of the Union address, saying the shutdown raised concerns about whether the forum could have adequate security. Republicans said she was merely trying to deny the president the stage.

While Pelosi did not immediately respond to being denied her trip, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, Rep. Steny Hoyer, called Trump's action "petty. It is small. It is vindictive."

Some Republicans also expressed frustration. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeted: "One sophomoric response does not deserve another." He called Pelosi's State of the Union move "very irresponsible and blatantly political" but said Trump's effort was "also inappropriate."

Trump has still not said how he will handle Pelosi's attempt to have him postpone his State of the Union address until the government is reopened so workers can be paid for providing security for the grand Washington tradition.

Pelosi told reporters earlier Thursday: "Let's get a date when government is open. Let's pay the employees. Maybe he thinks it's OK not to pay people who do work. I don't."

Trump declined to address the stalemate over the speech Thursday during a visit to the Pentagon, simply promising that the nation will have "powerful, strong border security."

Pelosi reiterated she is willing to negotiate money for border security once the government is reopened, but she said Democrats remain opposed to Trump's long-promised wall. "I'm not for a wall," Pelosi said twice, mouthing the statement a third time for effect.

While the shutdown dragged on, the State Department instructed all U.S. diplomats in Washington and elsewhere to return to work next week with pay, saying it had found money for their salaries at least temporarily.

In a notice to staff, the department said it can pay most of its employees beginning Sunday or Monday for their next pay period. They will not be paid for time worked since the shutdown began in December until the situation is resolved, said the notice.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had raised eyebrows among the U.S. diplomatic corps last week when he proclaimed that morale at the State Department was "good" despite the shutdown and the fact that 40 percent of its employees in the U.S. and nearly 23 percent overseas had been furloughed and the rest were working without pay.

For AP's complete coverage of the U.S. government shutdown: https://apnews.com/GovernmentShutdown

Associated Press writers Matthew Daly, Mary Clare Jalonick and Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.</s>WASHINGTON — It took President Donald Trump one day to flex his executive power back at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, denying her an aircraft for a planned trip abroad in apparent response to her attempt to delay his State of Union address amid their government shutdown clash.

The nation's two most powerful leaders appeared to be engaged in a game of Constitutional one-upmanship, as negotiations to end the 4-week stalemate failed to produce results.

In a letter to Pelosi on Thursday, Trump said that due to the shutdown a trip to Egypt, Brussels and Afghanistan would be delayed, declaring: "In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I'm sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate."

A spokesman for Pelosi says the trip was intended to express appreciation to U.S. troops and reaffirm the United States "ironclad commitment" to the NATO alliance.

Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill tweeted that the previously unannounced trip was to Afghanistan, including a stop in Brussels. He said it did not include a stop in Egypt.

Hammill said Pelosi was to meet with top NATO commanders and troops and "obtain critical national security & intelligence briefings from those on the front lines."

While the shutdown dragged on, the State Department on Thursday instructed all U.S. diplomats in Washington and elsewhere to return to work next week with pay, saying it had found money for their salaries at least temporarily despite the ongoing government shutdown.

In a notice to staff posted online and sent to employees, the department said it had found money to pay most of its employees beginning Sunday or Monday for their next pay period. They will not be paid for time worked since the shutdown began in December until the situation is resolved, said the notice, which was signed by William Todd, the deputy undersecretary of state for management.

It was not immediately clear where the money was found, but the department said it would use "existing funds as well as other available fiscal authorities to shift existing balances to restart payroll funding."

Salaries cannot be guaranteed beyond the next pay period, which ends on Feb. 14, if the shutdown does not end by then, the department said. However, it said it would "review its balances and available legal authorities to see if other flexibilities may be available."

The department said it was taking the step because it had become clear that the lapse in funding is harming essential diplomatic and national security objectives.

"While the department has done its best to address matters essential to achieving U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives during the ongoing lapse, it has become clear as the lapse has continued to historic lengths that we need our full team to address the myriad critical issues requiring U.S. leadership around the globe and to fulfill our commitments to the American people," it said.

It added that the department's leadership was "deeply concerned" about the financial hardships faced by its employees.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had raised eyebrows among the U.S. diplomatic corps last week when he proclaimed that morale at the State Department was "good" despite the shutdown and the fact that 40 percent of its employees in the U.S. and nearly 23 percent overseas had been furloughed and the rest were working without pay.

His comments also touched a nerve as he said he planned to go ahead with a previously scheduled conference of all U.S. ambassadors in Washington this week despite the funding constraints affecting employees.

Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan announced the return to work with pay instructions to that conference on Thursday and was greeted with two rounds of sustained applause, according to one diplomat who was present.

Outside the State Department other agencies continued to operate under the shutdown constraints.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Donald Trump has yet to respond to her request that he postpone his State of the Union address until the government is reopened so workers can be paid for providing security for the grand Washington tradition.

"We haven't heard — very silent," she told reporters on Thursday. "Let's get a date when government is open. Let's pay the employees. Maybe he thinks it's OK not to pay people who do work. I don't."

The president's planned Jan. 29 address became a potential casualty of the four-week partial government shutdown after the Democratic leader cited concerns about whether the hobbled government can provide adequate security. Republicans cast Pelosi's move as a ploy to deny Trump the stage.

Trump declined to address the stalemate over the speech Thursday during a visit to the Pentagon, simply promising that the nation will have "powerful, strong border security."

The uncertainty surrounding the annual address also underscored the unraveling of ceremonial norms and niceties in Trump's Washington, amid the shutdown over the president's demand for money to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall. The impasse is draining the finances of hundreds of thousands of federal employees going without paychecks.

Pelosi reiterated she is more than willing to negotiate money for border security once the government is reopened, but she said Democrats remain opposed to Trump's long-promised wall, one of his signature campaign promises.

"I'm not for a wall," Pelosi said twice, mouthing the statement a third time for effect.

Pressure on Trump intensified, as lawmakers from both parties scrambled for solutions. The shutdown, already the longest ever, entered its 27th day Thursday.

While Trump's own advisers said the shutdown was proving a greater drag on the economy than expected, Trump showed no signs of backing off a fight that he views as vital for his core supporters.

Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Chris Rugaber, Darlene Superville, Matthew Daly, Jonathan Lemire, Alan Fram, Colleen Long, Andrew Taylor, Laurie Kellman, Elana Schor and Ken Sweet contributed to this report.</s>The Latest: Pelosi asks Trump to postpone State of the Union

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the partial government shutdown (all times local):

The State of the Union speech could become a casualty of the partial government shutdown after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked President Donald Trump to postpone his Jan. 29 address.

Pelosi is citing concerns about whether the hobbled government can provide adequate security, but Republicans are casting her move as a ploy to deny Trump the stage.

Pelosi says that with both the Secret Service and the Homeland Security Department entangled in the shutdown, the president should speak to Congress another time or he should deliver the address in writing.

Trump did not immediately respond to the request and the White House had yet to offer any official response hours later.

The House has passed a Democratic measure to reopen the government through Feb. 8 and provide $14 billion in emergency spending for recent hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters.

The bill was approved 237-187 on Wednesday, mostly along party lines, but appears dead on arrival in the Republican-controlled Senate. The White House says President Donald Trump will veto the bill, calling it unacceptable without a broader agreement to address what Trump calls a crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Some Republicans accused Democrats of politicizing disaster aid, noting that the bill put many GOP lawmakers who support Trump's proposed border wall in the position of voting against disaster aid for their own districts.

House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey said the bill would help families and communities recover from disasters while reopening the government.

The White House says President Donald Trump has signed a bill that will require some 800,000 federal employees to be compensated for wages lost or work performed during the partial government shutdown.

Wednesday's bill signing was closed to the media. The House and Senate had voted to give the workers back pay whenever the federal government reopens.

The shutdown is in its fourth week with no end in sight.

Federal employees received pay stubs with nothing but zeros on them last week. Some posted photos of their empty earnings statements on social media as a rallying cry to end the shutdown.

The shutdown has resulted from a dispute over border wall funding. Democrats remain opposed to Trump's demand for $5.7 billion. They say they'll discuss border security once the government reopens.

New lawmakers who attended a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House say the conversation was respectful, but none could name progress the talks made toward reopening shuttered government agencies.

Minnesota Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips said Wednesday that the fact that lawmakers of both parties were sitting down and talking with Trump was progress in itself. And New York Democratic Rep. Max Rose said trust was built within members of the group. He said both Trump and Vice President Mike Pence "spent a lot of time" with the Democrats, calling the talks "very sensible discussions that involved listening and speaking."

Phillips said the group was not there to negotiate but "to better understand each other, which I think we did ... and perhaps provide a little bit of daylight through which we can walk."

Seven Democratic lawmakers, including newly elected freshmen, have arrived at the White House ready to ask President Donald Trump to reopen the government while talks continue over border security.

It's the first group of rank-and-file Democrats to meet with Trump during the shutdown, which stretched into its 26th day Wednesday. The White House has been trying to peel lawmakers away from Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (puh-LOH'-see), but invitations to Democrats earlier this week were declined.

Those arriving Wednesday for the midday meeting in the Situation Room included five freshmen, several of whom did not back Pelosi as speaker. They represent areas where Trump remains popular. They're from a bipartisan group called the Problem Solvers Caucus.

Ahead of the meeting they wrote there is "strong agreement that if we reopen the government, the possibility exists to work together and find common ground."

Trump is seeking $5.7 billion for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, but Pelosi opposes the wall.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is temporarily reopening an agency that provides resources to farmers and ranchers.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Wednesday the department has called back 2,500 employees to reopen Farm Service Agency offices on Thursday, Friday and next Tuesday to process existing farm loans and provide tax documents. The office will not process any new applications for loans or trade aid payments.

Perdue says the USDA is examining its "legal authorities" to ensure it's providing services to its customers during the partial government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history.

The USDA last week announced its feeding programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, will run through February. But if the shutdown extends into March funding will become uncertain.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has asked President Donald Trump to postpone his State of the Union address to the nation — set for Jan. 29 — until the government reopens.

The White House hasn't immediately responded to a request for comment about Pelosi's request, which she made in a letter to the president.

Pelosi says the partial shutdown is raising concerns about security preparations for the speech. The California Democrat notes that the Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security have been without funding for almost four weeks.

The annual speech is perhaps the president's biggest opportunity to present his agenda directly to the public.

Pelosi writes that "given the security concerns and unless government reopens this week, I suggest that we work together to determine another suitable date after the government has re-opened."

She's also raising the possibility that Trump deliver the message in writing, as presidents once did.

Congress is planning to skip next week's planned recess if the partial government shutdown continues. And there's every indication it will drag on.

Neither side is showing signs of backing down.

President Donald Trump has told supporters in a conference call that the shutdown will continue, in his words, "for a long time" if it has to.

And Trump contends that people are impressed at how well the government is working.

Democrats remain opposed to Trump's demand for $5.7 billion to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. They say they'll discuss border security once the government has reopened.

An effort by the White House to divide House Democrats fizzled when centrist and freshmen Democrats didn't accept a White House invitation to lunch with Trump on Tuesday.</s>WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump's Republican allies are dismissing as a political ploy House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's request that the president postpone his planned State of the Union address.

In a letter Wednesday, Pelosi noted that the Secret Service and the Homeland Security Department are entangled in the ongoing partial government shutdown and suggested Trump should address Congress another time.

Neither Trump nor the White House has responded to the suggestion. A top House Republican, Louisiana's Steve Scalise, tweeted that Democrats are interested only in obstruction, not governance.

Trump could postpone the address, already set for Jan. 29, or deliver it in writing as was the norm before the 20th century. The tradition for generations has called for a nationally broadcast address that provides the president a massive audience.</s>Image copyright Reuters/AFP Image caption Mr Trump has postponed Ms Pelosi's trip a day after she called on him to postpone his address to Congress

US President Donald Trump has postponed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's upcoming trip to Brussels and Afghanistan, asking her to stay to negotiate an end to the partial US government shutdown.

The president was able to halt the trip by denying the use of military aircraft to Mrs Pelosi and a delegation.

On Wednesday Mrs Pelosi had urged Mr Trump to postpone his State of the Union address, amid political deadlock.

Mr Trump's move came on the 27th day of the US's longest-ever federal shutdown.

The Republican president wants $5.7bn (£4.4bn) of congressional funding to build a wall on the US-Mexico border, but Democrats have refused.

Mr Trump's cancellation of the trip emerged less than an hour before the Democratic speaker of the House of Representatives was scheduled to leave on Thursday afternoon, US media say.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders shared the president's letter in a tweet.

"I also feel that, during this period, it would be better if you were in Washington negotiating with me and joining the Strong Border Security movement to end the Shutdown," Mr Trump wrote.

The president added that Mrs Pelosi could proceed with the trip - which he described as a "public relations event" - using a commercial airline.

Later on Thursday the White House announced it would not send a US delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland later this month, over the shutdown.

"Out of consideration for the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay and to ensure his team can assist as needed, President Trump has cancelled his delegation's trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland," Mrs Sanders said in a statement.

Mr Trump had previously said he would not attend, and on Tuesday announced a scaled-back delegation, which was to be led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Just why has the US government partially shut down?

Drew Hammill, Mrs Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, said her travel to Afghanistan had required a stop in Brussels to allow pilots to rest, as well as to meet top Nato commanders "to affirm the United States' ironclad commitment" to the alliance.

Mr Hammill said the plans did not include a visit to Egypt, and noted that Mr Trump and Republicans have travelled during a shutdown.

Skip Twitter post by @Drew_Hammill The purpose of the trip was to express appreciation & thanks to our men & women in uniform for their service & dedication, & to obtain critical national security & intelligence briefings from those on the front lines. (3/4) — Drew Hammill (@Drew_Hammill) January 17, 2019 Report

Mrs Pelosi's travel had not been announced before Mr Trump's letter.

Some commentators expressed dismay that the president would reveal plans about a trip to a war zone by a congresswoman who is third in line to the presidency.

The zero-sum battle drags on

Analysis by Anthony Zurcher, BBC News

The shutdown chess match between Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi has turned into a game of checkers.

The House speaker threatens to take away his State of the Union Address? The president erases her congressional trip to Afghanistan.

Jump-jump-jump. Your move.

The White House had reportedly been caught flat-footed by Ms Pelosi's State of the Union announcement on Wednesday and was searching for ways to circumvent the speaker's threatened roadblock.

There's still no obvious solution for them, but that hasn't kept the president from firing back.

How the American public perceives this tit-for-tat is an open question.

At least so far, the president appears to be shouldering the lion's share of the blame for the government shutdown.

At some point, however, the governmental dysfunction could drag everyone down.

Meanwhile, 800,000 federal employees continue to work - or sit at home - without pay.

Government websites crash, services grind to a halt and the economic toll begins to mount.

This has become a zero-sum battle where the costs of continuing to fight are matched only by the political price to be paid if a side backs down.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters Mr Trump's action "demeans the presidency" while Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called Mrs Pelosi's threat to cancel the state of the union address "irresponsible" and Mr Trump's response "also inappropriate".

Skip Twitter post by @LindseyGrahamSC One sophomoric response does not deserve another. Speaker Pelosi’s threat to cancel the State of the Union is very irresponsible and blatantly political. — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 17, 2019 Report

Skip Twitter post 2 by @LindseyGrahamSC President Trump denying Speaker Pelosi military travel to visit our troops in Afghanistan, our allies in Egypt and NATO is also inappropriate. — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 17, 2019 Report

A White House aide told US media that the trip "would have guaranteed" that federal workers would miss their second paycheque "because [Mrs Pelosi] would not have been here to negotiate any kind of deal".

However, Mr Trump has not banned Mrs Pelosi from going - just from using military aircraft.

Later on Thursday, Melania Trump used a military plane to fly to the family's private resort in Florida ahead of the long holiday weekend, US media reported.

Fox News also reports that members of Congress who were due to join the trip were left sitting on a US Air Force bus at Capitol Hill as staff at the Capitol, State, Pentagon and White House scrambled to handle the situation.

Content is not available

In her own letter to Mr Trump on Wednesday, Mrs Pelosi called on him to reschedule his annual address to Congress since "the extraordinary demands presented" by the event could not be met during the shutdown.

Mr Trump has not yet directly responded to the request to move his speech, but in an email to campaign supporters, he said he was "disinvited" from his address to the American people.

Skip Twitter post by @awzurcher The White House may not have an official response to Nancy Pelosi's State of the Union delay request, but Trump's 2020 presidential campaign is fund-raising off it. pic.twitter.com/kfWENEW1Va — Anthony Zurcher (@awzurcher) January 17, 2019 Report

Earlier on Thursday, Ms Pelosi told reporters that the Democrats did not want security officers working unpaid.

"Maybe he thinks it's okay not to pay people who work," Ms Pelosi said. "I don't."

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption US shutdown: 'My son wants to sell art to pay our bills'

Democrats in the House passed another bill to re-open parts of the government, but like past attempts, it is expected to fail in the Republican-led Senate.

The new stopgap bill proposes to re-open the government through 28 February.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to take up any legislation that does not have the president's approval, and has accused Democrats of wasting time.</s>It took President Donald Trump one day to flex his executive power back at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, denying her an aircraft for a planned trip abroad in apparent response to her attempt to delay his State of Union address amid their government shutdown clash.The nation's two most powerful leaders appeared to be engaged in a game of Constitutional one-upmanship, as negotiations to end the 4-week stalemate failed to produce results.In a letter to Pelosi on Thursday, Trump said that due to the shutdown a trip to Egypt, Brussels and Afghanistan would be delayed, declaring: "In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I'm sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate."While the shutdown dragged on, the State Department on Thursday instructed all U.S. diplomats in Washington and elsewhere to return to work next week with pay, saying it had found money for their salaries at least temporarily despite the ongoing government shutdown.In a notice to staff posted online and sent to employees, the department said it had found money to pay most of its employees beginning Sunday or Monday for their next pay period. They will not be paid for time worked since the shutdown began in December until the situation is resolved, said the notice, which was signed by William Todd, the deputy undersecretary of state for management.It was not immediately clear where the money was found, but the department said it would use "existing funds as well as other available fiscal authorities to shift existing balances to restart payroll funding."Salaries cannot be guaranteed beyond the next pay period, which ends on Feb. 14, if the shutdown does not end by then, the department said. However, it said it would "review its balances and available legal authorities to see if other flexibilities may be available."The department said it was taking the step because it had become clear that the lapse in funding is harming essential diplomatic and national security objectives."While the department has done its best to address matters essential to achieving U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives during the ongoing lapse, it has become clear as the lapse has continued to historic lengths that we need our full team to address the myriad critical issues requiring U.S. leadership around the globe and to fulfill our commitments to the American people," it said.It added that the department's leadership was "deeply concerned" about the financial hardships faced by its employees.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had raised eyebrows among the U.S. diplomatic corps last week when he proclaimed that morale at the State Department was "good" despite the shutdown and the fact that 40 percent of its employees in the U.S. and nearly 23 percent overseas had been furloughed and the rest were working without pay.His comments also touched a nerve as he said he planned to go ahead with a previously scheduled conference of all U.S. ambassadors in Washington this week despite the funding constraints affecting employees.Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan announced the return to work with pay instructions to that conference on Thursday and was greeted with two rounds of sustained applause, according to one diplomat who was present.Outside the State Department, other agencies continued to operate under the shutdown constraints.House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Donald Trump has yet to respond to her request that he postpone his State of the Union address until the government is reopened so workers can be paid for providing security for the grand Washington tradition."We haven't heard - very silent," she told reporters on Thursday. "Let's get a date when government is open. Let's pay the employees. Maybe he thinks it's OK not to pay people who do work. I don't."The president's planned Jan. 29 address became a potential casualty of the four-week partial government shutdown after the Democratic leader cited concerns about whether the hobbled government can provide adequate security. Republicans cast Pelosi's move as a ploy to deny Trump the stage.Trump declined to address the stalemate over the speech Thursday during a visit to the Pentagon, simply promising that the nation will have "powerful, strong border security."The uncertainty surrounding the annual address also underscored the unraveling of ceremonial norms and niceties in Trump's Washington, amid the shutdown over the president's demand for money to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall. The impasse is draining the finances of hundreds of thousands of federal employees going without paychecks.Pelosi reiterated she is more than willing to negotiate money for border security once the government is reopened, but she said Democrats remain opposed to Trump's long-promised wall, one of his signature campaign promises."I'm not for a wall," Pelosi said twice, mouthing the statement a third time for effect.Pressure on Trump intensified, as lawmakers from both parties scrambled for solutions. The shutdown, already the longest ever, entered its 27th day Thursday.While Trump's own advisers said the shutdown was proving a greater drag on the economy than expected, Trump showed no signs of backing off a fight that he views as vital for his core supporters.</s>ABCNews.com(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump responded to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday with a letter of his own, announcing he was canceling her trip to Belgium, Egypt and Afghanistan in apparent retaliation for Pelosi asking Trump to delay the State of the Union until after the government shutdown ends.

“Due to the Shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan has been postponed,” Trump wrote in a letter released Thursday afternoon. “We will reschedule this seven-day excursion when the Shutdown is over.”

A Pelosi spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment and it was unclear what travel plans, if any, she had.

Trump added that he feels “it would be better” if Pelosi was in Washington negotiating with him “and joining the Strong Border Security movement to end the shutdown.”

“Obviously, if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative,” Trump noted. “I look forward to seeing you soon and even more forward to watching our open and dangerous Southern Border finally receive the attention, funding and security it so desperately deserves.”

Earlier Thursday, with the shutdown in its 27th day, Pelosi said she had not received a response to her letter to the president, which urged Trump to delay the annual address until after government is reopened. When asked what she’d do if Trump were to insist on sticking to the Jan. 29 date, Pelosi she’d “cross that bridge when we come to it.”

“We haven’t heard. Very silent more than 24 hours,” Pelosi said, seemingly amused. “Have you heard? We haven’t heard.”

At the Pentagon Thursday morning, Trump continued to push for border security, including his proposed border wall, accusing Pelosi of refusing to let Democrats negotiate.

“The federal government remains shut down because congressional Democrats refuse to approve border security,” Trump said. “We’re going to have border security.”

Pelosi and Trump haven’t spoken to each other since Trump walked out of a Jan. 9 meeting with congressional leaders in the Situation Room, declaring it “a total waste of time.”

Last year, Trump delivered the State of the Union to a televised audience of 45.6 million people, leaving the impression that Pelosi is denying the president a prime platform to share his point of view as leverage against the president.

“Let’s get a date when government is open. Let’s pay the employees,” Pelosi said. “He thinks it is okay not to pay people who do work. I don’t. My caucus doesn’t either.”

Pelosi said she is confident security professionals could keep the event safe, but added her qualm is that they would not be immediately paid for their work.

“This is directly related to our security,” Pelosi said, recounting several votes the House has taken to end the shutdown.

Pelosi predicted there’s “bipartisan agreement” to use other technology to protect the border, but stressed “I’m not for a wall,” when she was asked why she hasn’t proposed an alternative dollar figure to counter the president’s $5.7 billion demand for a barrier.

“The president says the only way to do it is with a wall. That’s a debate that we have,” Pelosi said. “We must respect our workers protect our borders and reopen government the government immediately.”</s>Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she isn’t disinviting President Donald Trump from delivering his State of the Union address — the California Democrat insists she just wants him to come another time, once the partial government shutdown has ended.

Trump hasn’t said whether he will accept the recommendation to postpone. In a letter to Pelosi on Thursday announcing his decision to cancel her official travel to Afghanistan, he cryptically mentioned he “look(ed) forward to seeing her soon.”

What if Trump doesn’t want to reschedule? What if he’s intent on standing at the dais on the floor of the House of Representatives on Jan. 29 as originally planned?

Does Pelosi have the power to stop him?

Here’s what Pelosi can and can’t do.

Pelosi has the power to invite the president to deliver his address.

It all begins with an invitation. On the evening of Jan. 3, just hours after she was elected speaker, Pelosi sent Trump a letter inviting him to address “a joint session of Congress” on Jan. 29.

A joint session convenes when the House and Senate gather for any official event, typically for the purposes of hearing an address from a foreign dignitary, world leader or, in this case, the president of the United States. The joint session takes place in the House chamber, the larger of the two legislative bodies’ meeting places.



Pelosi can prevent an agreement to meet in a joint session.

A joint session isn’t an ad hoc event. Both the House and Senate must formally agree to the session by adopting a “concurrent resolution.”

These resolutions are typically noncontroversial, often simply advanced by voice vote or what’s called unanimous consent, meaning no one objects so the measure is agreed to.

Pelosi, as the speaker, can control whether this resolution comes up for a vote at all in the House — or, if it does, she can urge her members to vote “no.” If there’s no joint session of Congress, Trump can’t come to the House floor to deliver his address.

Pelosi can’t stop Trump from coming to the Capitol anyway on January 29.

There are restrictions on who can walk onto the House floor. The privilege is reserved for current and former members of Congress, along with congressional staffers with specific credentials allowing them access. The president is also permitted to enter the House chamber at any time.

Pelosi can use House rules to silence Trump.

Whether Trump could just get up on the dais and start delivering his State of the Union address is another question. Nothing could physically stop Trump from speaking in the House chamber, but there is a strict set of rules governing what is allowed to take place on the floor and what would be subject to condemnation.

In order for someone to deliver formal remarks in the House of Representatives, the chamber must be “in session,” which is at the discretion of the speaker.

Pelosi can make it difficult for C-SPAN to broadcast Trump’s floor speech.

Ordinarily, C-SPAN is the only entity allowed to record House floor proceedings. But C-SPAN only has permission to operate when the House is officially in session. If the House isn’t in session and Trump comes to the floor and begins speaking, there would be no way of broadcasting the address to a national audience. The chamber lights might not even be on for Trump to see his written speech.

Unless someone broke House rules. Someone could videotape Trump and carry it live on Facebook or Twitter. When Democrats, then in the minority, took over the House floor in a 24-hour “sit-in” in 2016 to protest gun violence, Democrats filmed their own floor speeches and C-SPAN chose to air that content. The same thing could happen in this scenario.

Then Pelosi would have to decide whether to move forward with a vote to formally rebuke of Trump.

Pelosi can’t keep Trump from delivering his address elsewhere.

In her letter recommending an alternative date for Trump’s State of the Union speech, Pelosi suggested Trump submit his remarks “in writing” to Congress, which was once a common practice for presidents.

Chances are slim that Trump would miss an opportunity to appear in front of an audience, however, so he’d be more likely to take his speech elsewhere.

He could request the TV news networks carry his address in prime time from the White House — a request that was granted last week so he could speak to Americans about the government shutdown and border security. Trump could also hold a campaign-style rally that evening, giving networks more discretion in deciding whether to give him the air time.

Pelosi can’t keep Trump from addressing the Senate.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, an ally of the president, has suggested Senate Republican leaders invite Trump to deliver the State of the Union address in their chamber.

“This is the first time in history that the House would deny the president a forum of speaking. If she is going to do that, let’s hold it in the Senate,” Paul told Fox News.

If Senate Republican leaders went forward with this gambit — there’s no indication it’s under serious consideration — they might not be able to actually make it happen. Hosting Trump for a televised State of the Union address in the Senate would likely also require adoption of a resolution, and if Democrats all vote “no,” the measure would not be able to overcome a filibuster.

There are 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two independents who typically vote with Democrats. That means Republicans would not be able to garner the 60 votes they need to proceed.</s>
• President Donald Trump said in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday that he was postponing her scheduled government trip to Belgium and Afghanistan, citing the ongoing partial government shutdown.
• “I am sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate,” Trump said in the letter.
• Pelosi on Wednesday sent a letter to Trump calling on him to postpone his upcoming State of the Union address, citing security concerns linked to the shutdown.

President Donald Trump on Thursday sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi informing her that he was postponing her scheduled government trip to Beligum and Afghanistan because of the partial government shutdown.

“Due to the Shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan has been postponed,” the letter said. “We will reschedule this seven-day excursion when the Shutdown is over. In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I am sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate.”

Read more: Nancy Pelosi suggests Trump either postpone his State of the Union address until after the government shutdown ends, or submit it in writing

Trump said he thought it would be better if Pelosi stayed in Washington to negotiate an end to the shutdown with him and join “the Strong Border Security movement.” He added that Pelosi could fly commercial if she wished to move forward with the trip. Members of Congress typically fly on military planes for official foreign travel.

Pelosi was reportedly scheduled to leave for the trip at 3 p.m. ET.

The House Speaker’s office issued a statement rebuking the president over the letter.

“The Congressional Delegation to Afghanistan included a required stop in Brussels for pilot rest. In Brussels, the delegation was scheduled to meet with top NATO commanders, U.S. military leaders and key allies – to affirm the United States’ ironclad commitment to the NATO alliance,” said Drew Hammill, a spokesman for Pelosi. “This weekend visit to Afghanistan did not include a stop in Egypt.”

Hammill added, “The purpose of the trip was to express appreciation and thanks to our men and women in uniform for their service and dedication, and to obtain critical national security and intelligence briefings from those on the front lines. The President traveled to Iraq during the Trump Shutdown as did a Republican CODEL led by Rep. Zeldin.”

On Wednesday, Pelosi sent a letter to the president calling on him to postpone his State of the Union address, scheduled for January 29, until after the government is reopened. She also suggested he submit the address in writing as an alternative.

Pelosi cited security concerns and the fact that the US Secret Service is working without pay because of the shutdown.

Read more: House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer walks back comment that Trump’s State of the Union address ‘is off’

Subsequently, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said her agency and the US Secret Service were prepared to provide security for the State of the Union.

The ongoing government shutdown, the longest in US history, is a product of the president’s demand for $5.7 billion in funding for a wall he wants to build along the US-Mexico border. Democrats, who think the wall is unnecessary and would not adequately address the US’s immigration issues, have refused to grant Trump the money.
U.S. President Donald Trump postpones House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's upcoming diplomatic trip to Europe, Afghanistan and Egypt after she urged the President to postpone his upcoming State of the Union Address over the ongoing government shutdown.