Republican North Carolina Rep. Mark Meadows said The White House’s decision to cancel public tours is a “publicity stunt,” referring to the situation as President Barack Obama’s “tourquester.”
Thee White House said automatic spending cuts forced them to suspend tours until further notice. The budget cuts took effect under the Budget Control Act of 2011.
“Although he engineered the sequester, President Obama has been looking to pin the blame on anyone he can. Now, as a result of his brainchild, the president will be letting down thousands of families across the country by cancelling self-guided White House tours. The president owes it to those families to provide some details behind the cancellations and what appears to be his latest publicity stunt,” Meadows said in a statement.
“That is why I have written the president seeking information about the amount of funding he will allegedly save by suspending White House tours, the list of positions that have been furloughed or terminated as a result, and any other considerations the White House has made to cut costs. It is my hope the president can shine some light on the decision making behind the cancellations, outside of political motives.”
A spokesperson for Meadows told The Daily Caller on Wednesday that they are “awaiting the president’s reply with bated breath.”