Obama’s team to reverse 200 decisions taken by Bush
Washington, Nov 10 : President-elect Barack Obama team has compiled a list of about 200 Bush Administration actions and executive orders that could be swiftly undone to reverse White House policies on climate change, stem cell research, reproductive rights and other issues.
According to congressional Democrats, a team of four dozen advisers, working for months in virtual solitude, set out to identify regulatory and policy changes Obama could implement soon after his inauguration, The Washington Post reported.
The team is now consulting with liberal advocacy groups, Capitol Hill staffers and potential agency chiefs to prioritize those they regard as the most onerous or ideologically offensive, said a top transition official.
Obama would be quickly delivering on promises he made during his two-year campaign and would be embracing Clinton-era policies upended by President Bush during his eight years in office, The Post said.
“The kind of regulations they are looking at” are those imposed by Bush for overtly political reasons, in pursuit of what Democrats say was a partisan Republican agenda, said Dan Mendelson, a former associate administrator for health in the Clinton Administration.
The list of executive orders targeted by Obama’s team could well get longer in the coming days, as Bush’s appointees rush to enact a number of last-minute policies in an effort to extend his legacy.
A spokeswoman said yesterday that no plans for regulatory changes had been finalized.
“Before he makes any decisions on potential executive or legislative actions, he will be conferring with congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle, as well as interested groups,” Obama transition spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said.
“Any decisions would need to be discussed with his Cabinet nominees, none of whom have been selected yet,” Cutter added. (ANI)