That makes sense — as they had the rack of lamb, there was no need to make a big bowl of rice the main dish. Though it isn’t all that expensive on a presidential dinner budget.
http://ansonmills.com/products/23 10 lb. for “only” $70
My brand is Carolina Gold Rice. It comes in a yellow cloth bag. It was fairly expensive (I forget how much) so I use it only occasionally. I haven’t figured out yet how to cook it properly. It’s more short grain than basmati.