Historical amnesia...
Jackie Kennedy was hounded by conservatives for her extravagant spending in refurbishing the White House
Harry Truman had the White House completely gutted and rebuilt from the inside out
Imagine the outrage if the Obamas did that......they can't even take a freaking vacation
The Obama vacations, private parties, and other extravagant expenditures couples with the outrageous 'conferences' and other events staged by people under Obama's 'leadership' most likely cost the taxpayer more than the White House renovations done by the Trumans and Kennedys combined. And in the 1950's and 1960's, Congress CARED what the people thought about them spending money and made every effort to at least appear responsible. In those days obsolete programs and projects were ended. Now they are just labeled with a new mission and given bigger budgets.
But to correct history that some of our members insist on mangling for purposes of political expediency:
"In 1961, when John and Jackie Kennedy moved into the White House, they found that the Truman-era decor and furnishings used modern fabrics or were casual reproductions of period pieces. These items had been acquired quickly as funds dried up in 1952, and, many felt, didn't befit the heritage of the home of the president of the United States. Jackie Kennedy's upbringing and education gave her a deep appreciation for fine art and authentic period pieces, so she looked for ways—on the White House's limited budget—to not merely redecorate but to restore the White House to a grander, more authentic period look appropriate to its role in American life."
Kennedy Renovation - White House Museum
History will show that Jackie used mostly donated expertise and private donated funds for much of the project.
Truman had his ups and downs with Congress re funding for White House structural projects but ultimately. . . "the main body of the mansion was found to be structurally unsound. Floors no longer merely creaked; they swayed. The president's bathtub was sinking into the floor. A leg of Margaret's piano broke through the floor in what is today the Private Dining Room. Engineers did a thorough examination and found plaster in a corner of the East Room sagging as much as 18 inches. Wooden beams had been weakened by cutting and drilling for plumbing and wiring over 150 years, and the addition of the steel roof and full third floor in 1927 added weight the building could no longer handle. They declared the whole house to be in imminent danger of collapse."
Congress then had no choice but authorizing the funding to do the necessary reconstruction.
Truman Reconstruction - White House Museum