Within minutes of taking the oath of office on January 20 , Obama 's Chief of Staff , Rahm Emanuel , issued an order suspending last-minute regulations and executive orders signed by outgoing President George W. Bush . Some of the first actions of Obama 's presidency focused on reversing measures taken by the Bush administration following the September 11 attacks . In his first week in office , Obama signed Executive Order 13492 suspending all ongoing proceedings of the Guantanamo military commissions and ordering the Guantanamo detention facility to be shut down within the year . Another order , Executive Order 13491 , banned torture and other coercive techniques , such as waterboarding . Obama also issued an executive order placing tighter restrictions on lobbying in the White House , and rescinded the Mexico City Policy , which banned federal grants to international groups that provide abortion services or counseling
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Presidency of Barack Obama