President-elect Obama's transition chief said Sunday the incoming administration is looking to reverse President Bush's executive orders on stem cell research, oil and gas drilling and other matters.John Podesta said the president can use such orders to move quickly without waiting for Congress to act, highlighting the extraordinary powers a president can wield beyond signing legislation approved by Congress. Podesta said people should expect Obama to use those powers to reverse many policies of the Bush administration."I think across the board, on stem cell research, on a number of areas, you see the Bush administration even today moving aggressively to do things that I think are probably not in the interest of the country," Podesta said in a broadcast interview."There's a lot that the president can do using his executive authority without waiting for congressional action, and I think we'll see the president do that," Podesta said.President Bush has limited federal spending on stem cell research, a position championed by opponents of abortion rights. Obama has supported the research in an effort to find cures for diseases such as Alzheimer's.
President Obama on Monday will overturn his predecessor's restrictions on stem cell research, various media outlets are reporting this afternoon. In 2001, then-President Bush limited federal funding for such research to existing lines of stem cells. Obama is expected to allow the National Institutes of Health to pay for scientists to study hundreds of lines of cells that have been developed since then.The move will fulfill a campaign pledge that Obama used to differentiate himself with John McCain, his Republican rival. “Barack Obama and Joe Biden believe that embryonic stem cell research represents real hope to millions of families dealing with debilitating conditions," his campaign said.