Congressional Picnic

The Congressional Picnic is an annual event held on the South Lawn of the White House.[1] Members of Congress and their families are invited to spend time with the president and other White House staffers in a relaxed setting.[2][3][4] The Picnic features carnival rides and musical performances.[5] Each year's Picnic features a theme, such as the Wild West, Broadway, and Mardi Gras.[6][7]

Overview of the 2006 Congressional Picnic

Vice President Mike Pence described the event as "about being able to leave politics outside the gate and being able to get together with the families of those who serve in both political parties."[8] Obama spokesman Josh Earnest called it "an opportunity for members of Congress to bring their families to enjoy a nice evening on the South Lawn of the White House."[9]

President Donald Trump postponed the 2018 Congressional Picnic[10] due to the appearance of having such an event while dealing with the crisis involving the separation of children from their parents at the US border. The crisis was a result of the Trump administration's continuing the "zero tolerance" policy towards illegal immigrants placed by the previous Obama administration.[11]

References
  1. CQ Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report. Congressional Quarterly, Incorporated. July 1986. p. 1863.
  2. United States. President (2001-2009 : Bush); George Walker Bush (2003). Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George Bush. 2001. Government Printing Office. pp. 680–681. GGKEY:0ZCFJEBHY2B.
  3. Conway, Madeline (May 26, 2017). "Trumps feature Central Park in congressional picnic invite". Politico. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  4. Heil, Emily (June 22, 2017). "At congressional picnic, Trump calls for post-shooting bipartisan spirit to 'deepen'". Washington Post. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  5. "In Performance at the White House: The Congressional Picnic". WETA. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  6. Laura Bush; Laura Welch Bush (May 4, 2010). Spoken from the Heart. Simon and Schuster. p. 289. ISBN 978-1-4391-5520-2.
  7. Lea Berman; Jeremy Bernard (January 9, 2018). Treating People Well: The Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life. Scribner. pp. 160–162. ISBN 978-1-5011-5800-1.
  8. "President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Host their First Congressional Picnic". whitehouse.gov. June 23, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2018 – via National Archives.
  9. Jackson, David. "Obama's day: Congressional picnic". USA Today. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  10. "Trump reverses course, signs order to keep families together | CNN Politics". CNN. June 20, 2018.
  11. "AP: Toddlers, babies held in 'tender age' facilities after separated from families | CNN Politics". CNN. June 20, 2018.
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