President Obama and his family will leave Washington Dec. 20 for a 17-day holiday vacation in Hawaii.

The White House announced Friday that the Obamas will depart next week after what is expected to be a light work schedule for the president in Washington.

The president and his family traditionally spend their Christmas break in a rented home on Oahu with spectacular ocean views.

For his first three years in office, Mr. Obama rented a $24,500-per-week gated Plantation Estate, which offers security and privacy on the white sand beach of Kailua Bay.

Last year, renting a similar house in the same locale, Mr. Obama was forced to cut short his vacation and fly back to Washington on the day after Christmas to resume negotiations on an emergency budget deal with Congress. This year, Congress is on track to approve a two-year budget deal before the Christmas holiday.

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