Washington (CNN) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she is "not denying" President Donald Trump a platform to address the American public with her request to postpone the State of the Union until after the shutdown is over or for the President to deliver it in writing.

"I'm not denying him a platform at all," Pelosi said at her weekly news conference at the Capitol. "I'm saying, let's get a date when government is open."

Taking a jab at the President, Pelosi added, "Let's pay the employees. Maybe he thinks it's ok not to pay people who do work. I don't. My caucus doesn't either."

The House speaker stood by her stance on rescheduling the speech after sending a letter to the President the day before asking for the State of the Union address to be at a time after the shutdown is over or for Trump to deliver it in writing, citing security concerns as a result of the ongoing shutdown, which has impacted roughly a quarter of the federal government.

The administration -- and the Department of Homeland Security in particular -- has pushed back on the idea that security could be impaired during the address as a result of the shutdown.

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