Article snippet: The Trump administration on Wednesday pushed back on Speaker MORE’s State of the Union address. “The Department of Homeland Security and the US Secret Service are fully prepared to support and secure the State of the Union,” Homeland Security Secretary MORE said on Twitter. Nielsen praised the service, which her department oversees, “for their mission focus and dedication and for all they do each day to secure our homeland.” The secretary’s comments are the administration’s first public response to Pelosi’s argument that the Jan. 29 address should be pushed back. In a letter to Trump, Pelosi pointed out that Secret Service agents and other personnel responsible for securing the speech are not being paid during the partial shutdown and argued it could pose a security risk. “Sadly, given the security concerns and unless the government reopens this week, I suggest we work together to determine another suitable date after the government has reopened for this address,” she wrote. Pelosi also suggested Trump could instead deliver the address in writing. The White House has yet to directly respond to the Speaker’s request to move the date, though Nielsen’s statement indicates Trump is not inclined to grant it. White House officials have been considering using the president’s annual address to the nation to admonish Democrats over the shutdown and their opposition to Trump’s request for $5.7 billion in funding for a border wall. But others have warned Trump that he faces... Link to the full article to read more