Thread: Obama Issues Executive Orders

Obama's first day: Pay freeze, lobbying rules
President also speaks with Mideast leaders, attends prayer service

Pete Souza / White House handout via EPA
President Barack Obama meets with chief of staff Rahm Emanuel on Wednesday in the Oval Office. Emanuel is among the senior staff affected by the pay freeze announced Wednesday.

NBC News and news services
updated 6 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - In his first full day in office, President Barack Obama issued his first orders — among them tighter rules on lobbyists, a pay freeze for senior staff and quick responses to Freedom of Information Act requests.

He also met with economic advisers, spoke with Middle East leaders and, last but not least, attended a prayer service, continuing a tradition that dates to the presidency of George Washington.

The pay freeze impacts about 100 White House employees who make more than $100,000 a year.

"Families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington," Obama said just before Vice President Joe Biden swore in the new senior staff at the White House.

Obama also announced a change in policy that will require each federal agency and department to give full attention to Freedom of Information requests and revealed what he called a "clean break" from existing rules spelling out when and under what circumstances administration officials could work on issues on which they lobbied governmental agencies before.

He said there would be a two-year, rather than a one-year, waiting period for government officials to be able to work on such issues and said they would "not be able to work on matters you lobbied on or White House agencies you lobbied during the last two years."

"Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this administration," Obama said in a statement to reporters.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28767687/?GT1=43001

If you missed his speech just a little bit ago, I think you can watch the video at the link above. He says he's not going to work for special interest groups, but for the people, He said he wants involve the American people in shaping policy. It'll be interesting to see how much he listens to us when it comes to immigration.

Good! Let's see some more stuff like that!

Washington should have to live within it's means like we have to.

Lobbyists should be totally outlawed, there is such a sham to that job, it's EVIL for the USA. It's been corrupted beyond fixing. Something like 77 lobbyist per ???. I can't remember but it's outrageous.

Originally Posted by WorriedAmerican

Good! Let's see some more stuff like that!

Washington should have to live within it's means like we have to.

Lobbyists should be totally outlawed, there is such a sham to that job, it's EVIL for the USA. It's been corrupted beyond fixing. Something like 77 lobbyist per ???. I can't remember but it's outrageous.

I agree with you!

Obama has been talking for a long time now, let see if he can walk the walk. I hope he is serious about running this country for the people. That is the way it was intended to be run, not for a few greedy like Bush administration did.

"Families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington," Obama said

I was hoping he would start with the innauguration. Does anyone else feel that display was inappropriate considering the common people are losing jobs, houses, retirement funds?

i liked what i heard about limiting lobbyists

i am wondering about this order to STOP all trials at Gitmo though.
I dont want these terrorists on US SOIL

I didn't vote for him but he is our President now and I will stand behind him until I see what he's about. If he's just 'more of the same'...I won't. If he's freezing the pay of the-already-too-rich he can't be all bad...although, it seems like a symbolic move only, considering they won't miss the measly by comparison raises they give themselves. I'll give the guy a chance. Let's see what other rabbits he pulls out of his hat.

Originally Posted by jamesw62

i liked what i heard about limiting lobbyists

i am wondering about this order to STOP all trials at Gitmo though.
I dont want these terrorists on US SOIL

My understanding is that he can't do it as quick as he wanted too so he's stopping trials.
All his promises have to wait. Most won't ever even happen.
All candidates tell us what we want to hear.
Many of their own countries don't want them eiither!
Don't we just have that kid from out west that joined in the fight?

"WASHINGTON - In his first full day in office, President Barack Obama issued his first orders — among them tighter rules on lobbyists, a pay freeze for senior staff and quick responses to Freedom of Information Act requests."

Ronald Regan ordered his administration to stonewall FOIA requests. Republicans just don't want the people to know what their goverment is doing. Back in the 1980's I sued the Labor Department under the FOIA to make them give me pending Applications for Alien Employment Certification so, if I qualified, I could bump an alien out of a job he had already been hired for. I lost the case in Federal Court, but by that time I had already found a job. The H1B visas now don't require certification that there is no qualified American who can do the job. There is a limit on how many H1B's can be issued but the Labor Department under Bush ignored that limit. We have Bill Gates, who wants an unlimited number of H1B's authorized, to thank for this. Let Microsoft move to Canada like he threatens. Gates is the biggest anti-trust violater in history. He should be in jail.

Originally Posted by ReggieMay

"Families are tightening their belts, and so should Washington," Obama said

I was hoping he would start with the innauguration. Does anyone else feel that display was inappropriate considering the common people are losing jobs, houses, retirement funds?

I do