Funding bill gives 'wiggle room' to reopen White House to tours despite sequester

Brett T. | 5:30 PM on October 18, 2013

It looks like the “dad of the country” has a special treat for those of us who sat quietly through Shutdown Theater. Today the White House announced that, thanks to the new funding bill, tours will resume on a limited schedule. But wait a second … we knew the Panda Cam had to be taken down because of the showdown over the debt ceiling, but weren’t White House tours canceled because of the sequester, not the government shutdown?

White House says tours will resume – on limited schedule – beginning Nov. 5. They were cut back in March because of the sequester

— West Wing Reports (@WestWingReport) October 18, 2013

We thought so.

White House tours are back, according to notice WH sent to lawmakers. WH had blamed the sequester, no explanation for change in the notice

— Kathleen Hennessey (@khennessey) October 18, 2013

WH resumes tours that were stopped during sequester. Where did the $$ come from? Seems the whole thing was a political show.

— TheGumption (@TGumption) October 18, 2013

@markknoller Nothing changed RE: sequester. I thought WH tours were discontinued due to that.

— Keith Burgin (@KeithBurgin) October 18, 2013

@markknoller but sequester? so the last several months of canceled tours was just "maximum pain"?

— AgentDMiller (@wannabeerbad) October 18, 2013

It seems the new funding bill gave the Secret Service some “wiggle room” in its budget.

Secret Svc spox says new CR/fiscal yr funding gives them wiggle room to adjust & resume WH tours despite sequestration sill being in place.

— Nick Kalman (@NickKalmanFN) October 18, 2013

Don’t pack the car just yet: by limited, the White House really means limited.