Obama’s first two executive orders opposed by 58 percent Americans
Washington, Feb 4 : US President Barack Obama's first two executive orders, allowing federal funding for overseas abortions and closing Guantanamo, have been met with widespread opposition.
President Obama has garnered widespread support for his early actions in office, but Americans strongly oppose the Commander-in-Chief's first two executive orders, according to a Gallup poll released on Tuesday.
Fifty-eight percent of Americans said they disagreed with the president''s decision to give overseas funding to family planning organizations that provide abortions, according to the survey taken between Friday and Sunday. Thirty-five percent supported it, FOX News reported.
Obama signed an order on January 23 reversing the "Mexico City policy" -- a prohibition first implemented by Ronald Reagan, which forbade the U. S. Government from sending money to overseas family-planning organizations that perform abortions or offer abortion counseling.
The ban, which was lifted when Bill Clinton took office, was later re-established by George W. Bush in 2001.
The poll also found that more Americans -- 50 percent to 44 percent -- oppose the president''s decision to close the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects within in a year.
Obama''s executive orders are especially unpopular among Republicans. Only eight percent said they approve the president''s decision to fund overseas abortions, while 11 percent said they agree with his order to shut down Guantanamo.
Both orders were also least popular among Democrats, though most surveyed said they approved of the president''s decisions, FOX News reported.
Despite clear disapproval to the two executive orders, an overwhelming majority of Americans said they supported the president''s first actions as president. (ANI)