$hutdown at O House

WASHINGTON — The sequester hit home yesterday for President Obama, as public tours of the White House became one of the first noticeable casualties of the federal spending cuts.

The White House announced in a memo that tours were canceled from Saturday until further notice “due to staffing reductions resulting from sequestration.”

Obama has been warning about the painful impact of the cuts, such as fewer food inspectors, but most of it won’t be felt until April.

Republicans have called the president’s warnings “scare tactics.”

The $85 billion in cuts haven’t stopped the US Department of Agriculture from sponsoring a pair of upcoming conference getaways in California and Oregon, including swanky wine-tasting receptions.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) called for USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to cancel the events, but a USDA official insisted the agency had aggressively cut travel and conference costs.

The cuts appear irreversible this year. The House is poised to pass a GOP spending bill tomorrow that keeps the federal cuts in place, but gives the Pentagon more leeway to fund priorities.

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