WASHINGTON — In one of his first acts as president, Barack Obama is planning to lift a rule that prevents federal money from going to international family planning groups that counsel women on abortion or perform the procedure.
Obama's repeal of the abortion aid policy is one of several executive actions he will take soon after his inauguration today, according to Obama transition aides. He is also considering lifting Bush administration restrictions on federally funded stem cell research.
Obama's first month in the White House will be busy. On Wednesday -- his first full day as president -- he is expected to meet with military advisors and order them to submit plans for withdrawing combat troops from Iraq within 16 months.
That pledge was a staple of his campaign speeches, and aides said he would follow through. But Obama also has promised to heed advice from ground-level military commanders, some of whom think the 16-month timetable is too rushed. So the deadline could slip.
Within days of taking office, Obama will order the closing of the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a transition aide said. About 250 inmates remain at Guantanamo. The Obama administration plans to assess each one to determine where the prisoners should be sent. The review could take months, so the prison won't be closed right away, the aide said.
Next month, Obama will convene a "fiscal responsibility summit," where participants will discuss the spiraling growth of Medicare and Social Security -- popular but costly programs that may require a combination of tax increases and benefit cuts to remain viable.
Obama's team also is reviewing scores of rules and regulations set in motion by Bush administration officials as the president's term was winding down, the aides said, with an eye toward putting them on hold until the review is completed. Critics say some of the rules weaken worker protections and civil liberties.
The Obama aides spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about policies that had not been officially announced.
On the eve of Obama's inauguration, aides were still determining the schedule under which the 44th president would make specific announcements. But one date that has special significance in the debate over funding for international family planning groups is Jan. 22 -- the 36th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.
