Obama will have to leave behind mementos in the Oval Office
The Obamas have added their own personal touch to the White House over the last seven and a half years, particularly to the Oval Office. However, when the Obamas move out in January they will have to leave most of the décor behind. President Obama told John Dickerson that he will take just his pictures with him.
"Generally speaking, this is property of the people and the United States of America," said Obama, "I always tell my team that my lease is running out, but I do want to get my security deposit back so don't break anything while you're here. Don't mess up. Don't put your dirty fingers on the wallpaper."
Technically speaking, everything in the White House is on loan from the government. The house itself is often dubbed "The People's House." The president's family is allowed to decorate as they see fit. When the Kennedys entered the White House in 1961 Jackie Kennedy immediately began to revitalize The White House's public rooms in an effort to return it to its original grandeur. She even hosted a guided tour of the home on TV, which aired on CBS on February 14th, 1962. This redecoration set a standard for presidential families and the upkeep of the home. Since then the president and his family have always prioritized the upkeep of the home and encourage tours of the White House. The Obamas have taken that idea one step further and you can now virtually tour the White House online.
The president's family can borrow from a massive collection of furniture and art curated by the government in order to decorate The White House. At the end of the administration the pieces must be returned to the collection, unless the incoming president decides to utilize the piece. That collection includes pieces dating back to 1814. All pieces prior to that year were lost when the British burned down the White House during the War of 1812. The only piece that dates prior to that is George Washington's portrait which Dolley Madison saved while she was fleeing Washington D.C. That portrait currently hangs in the East Room in the White House.
But the president and their family are also allowed to accept personal gifts to be placed in the White House. Whether those gifts belong to the president or the White House is a different matter. In some cases, the gift was intended to stay in the White House, meaning the president cannot take it with him when he leaves.
That distinction can be hard to discern and it's often up to the discretion of the donor. When the Clintons left in 2001 they had amassed close to $300,000 worth of gifts. They took with them many the gifts they received, only to give some of them back when they faced public criticism and accusations of theft. The Clintons also paid the government $80,000 for the gifts they received. In accordance with the law the Clintons did release records of what was given to them during President Clinton's eight years in office and the National Parks Service did allow them to keep some gifts. In the end, the story of the so called "theft" was determined to be overblown and the Clintons were cleared of any accused wrongdoing.
After investigating the matter, the House Committee on Government reform acknowledged the system for receiving gifts is muddled and complicated and recommended an overhaul of the system. This was not the first case of confusion: The Reagans were incredibly careful about accepting gifts after an aide was fired for being careless with his record keeping. They were also investigated by the IRS after Nancy accepted a dress valued at more than $25,000.
Click here to see the rest of our interview with the outgoing president.