美国有线新闻 CNN 政府停摆僵局愈演愈烈 特朗普国情咨文演讲遭众议长取消（在线收听）

The U.S. presidents annual State of the Union speech has been called off for now and the reason concerns the political fight taking place over the government's partial shutdown. Here's what happened. On January 3rd, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited President Donald Trump to give his annual address in the U.S. House of Representatives in late January.

But on January 16th, the speaker recommended that the president postpone the speech or send it in a letter until the partial government shutdown was over. On Wednesday, President Trump said he was moving ahead with plans to give the speech in the House. Speaker Pelosi responded that the House would not authorize it to take place until the government had completely reopened. And though the president initially suggested that his Administration would find another place for the speech, he said Wednesday night that it would be postponed because no venue can compete with the importance of the House chamber.

Democrats and Republicans continue to blame each other for the shutdown and the postponement of the speech but one thing that's interesting is what the Constitution says about the address. The president shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the State of the Union. It doesn't say it has to be every year. It doesn't say it has to be in a joint session of Congress in the House. So what the two sides are arguing about is the tradition that Democratic and Republican presidents have observed throughout the years but not a Constitutional obligation.