The government shutdown has reached White House assistant chef/Let's Move! executive director/Senior Policy Advisor on Nutrition Sam Kass. According to Obama Foodorama's sources, Kass has been placed on furlough and will not be doing any cooking or policy work until government operations resume. Of the 90-person executive residence staff at the White House, some 15 staffers will work through the shutdown, including "at least" one chef who will presumably continue to cook for the President and his family. Press Secretary Jay Carney has described the working staff as "skeletal."
Though Kass had previously speculated that the furlough would not impact the Let's Move! campaign, it seems that the campaign is stalled, having shut down its Twitter. For all those staffers now on furlough, several DC bars and restaurants are providing shut-down specials, so go, drink.
· Government Shutdown: Sam Kass Is On Furlough [Obama Foodorama]
· What the Government Shutdown Means for Food & Drink [-E-]
· All Sam Kass Coverage on Eater [-E-]
[Photo: FitnessGov / Flickr]