Former US President George W. Bush delivered pizza to his Secret Service detail, who are working without pay due to the partial government shutdown, and called on Washington to put an end to the impasse over funding for a southern border wall, reports USA Today.
In a photo posted to his Instagram account, Bush is seen carrying three pies to a group of seven Secret Service personnel. Just behind the 43rd president, several other pizzas were also being carried to the group.
Bush said both he and his wife, Laura, were grateful for the men and women who were working to keep them safe but it was time to end the impasse between President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress.
He thanked both the Secret Service and the "thousands of federal employees who are working hard for our country without a paycheck" and all the citizens who were helping to support these workers.
"It's time for leaders on both sides to put politics aside, come together and end this shutdown," Bush said.
But, over the near-month since the shutdown began due to disagreement over funding for a wall along the southern border, the dispute between Trump and Democratic leaders seems to have gotten more bitter. In its 28th day, the historic and record-breaking shutdown shows no signs of ending.
More than 800,000 federal employees have not been paid due to the shutdown, including nearly 6,000 Secret Service employees, according to the Department of Homeland Security's shutdown procedures.
On Friday, Trump taunted Pelosi over his cancellation of a military plane she was scheduled to take to lead a congressional delegation to a war zone in Afghanistan.
The cancellation on Thursday came after Pelosi sent the president a letter suggesting his State of the Union address - scheduled for Jan. 29 - be delayed or that he submit it in writing if parts of the government remain closed at the end of the month.
"Why would Nancy Pelosi leave the Country with other Democrats on a seven day excursion when 800,000 great people are not getting paid," Trump tweeted on Friday.
Trump's campaign also announced on Friday that it was raising money to send bricks to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer over funding for a border wall.
"Since Chuck and Nancy keep stonewalling the President, we’ll send the wall to them, brick by brick, until they agree to secure the border!" Trump's campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said in a tweet promoting the campaign.