Congressional Picnic

{{Short description|Annual presidential event}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}

File:6766724 Congressional Picnic Overview 2006.jpg

The Congressional Picnic is an annual event held on the South Lawn of the White House.{{cite book|title=CQ Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GKlEAQAAIAAJ|date=July 1986|publisher=Congressional Quarterly, Incorporated|page=1863}} Members of Congress and their families are invited to spend time with the president and other White House staffers in a relaxed setting.{{cite book|author1=United States. President (2001-2009 : Bush)|author2=George Walker Bush|title=Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George Bush. 2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HQLhmgkCV48C&pg=PA680|year=2003|publisher=Government Printing Office|pages=680–681|id=GGKEY:0ZCFJEBHY2B}}{{cite news|last1=Conway|first1=Madeline|title=Trumps feature Central Park in congressional picnic invite|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2017/05/26/trump-congressional-picnic-central-park-238869|access-date=2 May 2018|work=Politico|date=May 26, 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Heil|first1=Emily|title=At congressional picnic, Trump calls for post-shooting bipartisan spirit to 'deepen'|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2017/06/22/at-congressional-picnic-trump-calls-for-post-shooting-bipartisan-spirit-to-deepen/|access-date=2 May 2018|work=Washington Post|date=June 22, 2017}} The Picnic features carnival rides and musical performances.{{cite web|title=In Performance at the White House: The Congressional Picnic|url=https://weta.org/press/performance-white-house-congressional-picnic|website=WETA|access-date=2 May 2018}} Each year's Picnic features a theme, such as the Wild West, Broadway, and Mardi Gras.{{cite book|author1=Laura Bush|author2=Laura Welch Bush|title=Spoken from the Heart|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YA6Rp0QzOzkC&pg=PA289|date=4 May 2010|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-1-4391-5520-2|page=289}}{{cite book|author1=Lea Berman|author2=Jeremy Bernard|title=Treating People Well: The Extraordinary Power of Civility at Work and in Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=grSuDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA161|date=9 January 2018|publisher=Scribner|isbn=978-1-5011-5800-1|pages=160–162}}

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."{{cite web|url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/articles/president-trump-first-lady-melania-trump-host-first-congressional-picnic/|access-date=2 May 2018|date=June 23, 2017|via=National Archives|work=whitehouse.gov|title=President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump Host their First Congressional Picnic}} 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."{{cite news|last1=Jackson|first1=David|title=Obama's day: Congressional picnic|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2015/06/17/obama-loretta-lynch-congressional-picnic-world-cup/28851557/|access-date=2 May 2018|work=USA Today}}

President Donald Trump postponed the 2018 Congressional Picnic{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/20/politics/trump-separation-action-immigration/index.html|title = Trump reverses course, signs order to keep families together | CNN Politics|website = CNN|date = 20 June 2018}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/20/politics/immigration-border-separations-tender-age-shelters/index.html|title = AP: Toddlers, babies held in 'tender age' facilities after separated from families | CNN Politics|website = CNN|date = 20 June 2018}}