Tag: Aircraft

President Trump on Thursday abruptly denied military aircraft to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a foreign trip just minutes before the congressional delegation was set to depart, in a stunning decision that followed her call to delay the State of the Union address amid the government shutdown. Obviously, if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative.” Asked if lawmakers might still be able to find another way to travel overseas, a senior congressional official told Fox News Thursday evening only, "I don't know." A senior White House official also told Fox News that all congressional delegation travel by military aircraft is now postponed. Republicans had a split response over the president's decision. The president's move to cancel Pelosi's trip came after the House speaker's request to delay his annual State of the Union address -- though one White House official claimed the aircraft decision was not a "response" to Pelosi's letter. The speaker stood by that call earlier Thursday. “That’s why I said to the president, if you don’t open up government, let’s discuss a mutually agreeable date.” She added: “It could be a week later—if the government is reopened.” For more than 24 hours, Trump did not respond to Pelosi's request, even as fellow Republicans condemned her push for delay. Congressional lawmakers, meanwhile, were left sitting on a bus waiting to see if they could depart. Amid mounting confusion, Fox News is told there were furious calls going back and forth among Capitol Hill, State, Pentagon and White House offices. The shutdown, which is now the longest in U.S. history, has left more than 800,000 federal workers and contractors without pay.