Everyone is asking if Speaker Nancy Pelosi can delay Trump's address. First, we have to educate ourselves on the State of the Union and the U.S. Constitution.
Article II, Section 3 of the constitution, requires the President to periodically "give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."
From Wikipedia: "The Speaker is the political and parliamentary leader of the House of Representatives, and is simultaneously the House's presiding officer, de facto leader of the body's majority party, and the institution's administrative head."
This is telling us that the Speaker of the House controls the date, time and place when the President can address Congress. Usually, this time is giving on the 3rd week of January.
Congress and the President usually agree on a date when he can address Congress and then an invitation is sent to the White House from the House Speaker.
The Constitution also doesn't say if the address has to be televised or broadcast to the public. This is important to remember.
Speaker Pelosi also suggested that Donald Trump deliver the address from the Oval Office.
Trump delivered a prime-time address from the White House last week so this option is possible.
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