President Barack Obama helps a little boy roll his egg to the finish line during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, Monday, April 9, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. In the background, at left are Malia Obama and Sasha Obama. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
The White House warned today that the 135th annual White House Easter Egg Roll may be nixed due to the Obama sequester.
The Politico reported:
The next casualty of sequestration could be the Easter Bunny – at least according to a White House e-mail that recently landed in Capitol Hill inboxes.
The White House warned Congress that budget uncertainties could nix the annual Easter Egg Roll for kids, which is planned for April 1.
“[B]y using these tickets, guests are acknowledging that this event is subject to cancellation due to funding uncertainty surrounding the Executive Office of the President and other federal agencies,” the White House cautioned, according to two Capitol Hill sources who provided the language. “If cancelled, the event will not be rescheduled.”
White House press secretary Jay Carney said last week that the egg roll would go forward, although he left open the possibility that that could change. (Update: A White House official said Monday that the egg roll is still going forward. More below.)
The administration has faced a backlash from Congress – and late-night comics – for canceling tours of the White House to save money as part of the $85 billion in automatic budget cuts, known as sequestration, that went into effect March 1. And there has also been criticism that the Easter Egg roll would go forward while the tours would not.
But the Obama Administration will continue their food stamp outreach to illegal immigrants.
