White House tours canceled, apparently due to sequester Updated 6:10 p.m. The White House is canceling all public tours, due to staffing reductions as a result of sequestration, a senior administration official tells CBS News. The White House Visitors Office information line says tours will continue as scheduled through Friday, and will stop on Saturday, until further notice. In an email from the Visitors Office to congressional staff, the White House said "We very much regret having to take this action, particularly during the popular Spring touring season." John Hart, spokesman for Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., told CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett that the White House move will invite congressional scrutiny of White House spending policies. Hart also predicted the move to end White House tours will backfire. "Inviting extra scrutiny of White House operations is not a smart play," Hart said. The White House has jumped the 'sharquester.' Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, added in a statement, "This is perception politics run amok. The White House spends tens of thousands of dollars each year on Christmas decorations and elaborate events, but when asked to trim its budget they opt to close the White House gate to the American people.