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JANUARY 23, 2001

On his first full day on the job, President George W. Bush on Monday brought about swift changes in federal policy, rescinding or holding back a number of decisions made by the Clinton administration.

The most controversial action made yesterday was to suspend federal aid to foreign organizations which provide abortion services, support, or counseling. Bush issued an executive memorandum cutting funding supplied by the Agency for International development.

The decision immediately angered pro-choice and women's rights advocates. Falling on the 28th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision affirming a woman's right to choose, groups liked Planned Parenthood and the Republican Pro-Choice Coalition expressed outrage at Bush's action.

But the move is just a sign of things to come, said Bush spokesperson Ari Fleischer on Monday. Agencies and departments throughout Capitol Hill are scrambling to deal with the transition, particularly following a memorandum issued on Saturday which delays publication of rules and regulations in the Federal Register.

For the Department of Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bush's actions are affecting several last-minute decisions made under departed Secretary Bruce Babbitt. Late Friday, the BIA extended preliminary federal recognition to the Nipmuc Nation of Massachusetts and issued a final decision to recognize the Duwamish Tribe of Washington.

Both decisions would be published in the Register but the BIA is holding them back pending review of Bush's order. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is going one step further and is asking the new administration to reconsider the Nipmuc recognition altogether.

"The BIA's rush to issue a decision in the final hours of the outgoing administration is simply the latest event in a series of actions that calls into question the BIA's credibility and fairness to the states and other interested parties," wrote Blumenthal to Andrew Card, head of the Bush transition team.

Blumenthal is also suing the Interior and BIA over the preliminary decisions to recognize two Pequot tribes in his state. Among other issues, the lawsuit claims the departed Kevin Gover changed the recognition process without informing the state and without going through standard rule-making procedures.

Meanwhile, Bush today will issue his education plan. It calls for more testing and increased federal funding in public schools but it would punish schools who don't meet goals.

The most controversial aspect involves "parental choice," otherwise known as school vouchers, a policy opposed by many Democrats. It would allow parents to receive money from the government and use it to enroll their children in private schools.

Get the BIA lawsuit:
Blumenthal et. al v. US DOI et. al (Conn Attorney General January 2001)

Related Stories:
Nipmuc Nation granted recognition (Tribal Law 1/22)
Duwamish Tribe receives recognition (Tribal Law 1/22)
Bush blocks Clinton decisions (Politics 1/22)