The background is a famous episode in which a subplot concerned Big Block of Cheese Day, which was from the days of Andrew Jackson. A...well, big block of cheese was stationed in the White House for the general public, but the larger point was for people to have access to the administration for making comments and complaints.
As a bonus, here is an interview with the show's creator Aaron Sorkin and one of the stars Bradley Whitford when they appeared on The Late Show with James Corden. It's enjoyable, but what stands out is a story that Whitford tells about rehearsing his lines one day when they were on location in Washington, D.C.