Federal agencies told to hold off on pending rules

WASHINGTON - In one of his first acts in office, President Obama yesterday ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review. The action comes after George W. Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.

The order went out in a memorandum signed by Obama's chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel. The notice of the action was contained in the first news release sent out by Obama's White House.

The new president plunges into his new job in earnest today after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service this morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers, and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House.

Obama was summoning his holdover defense secretary, Robert M. Gates, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Adm. Mike Mullen, to the White House today, along with other members of his National Security Council, to discuss a way ahead in the war, according to two senior military officers who spoke on condition of anonymity because the White House had not publicly announced the meeting.

The war in Afghanistan also was to be discussed, with the commander overseeing both conflicts, Gen. David Petraeus, scheduled to attend. Also due to participate by video conference were Gen. David McKiernan, the top commander in Afghanistan, and Gen. Ray Odierno, the top commander in Iraq.

During his campaign, Obama said he intended to withdraw all U.S. combat brigades from Iraq within 16 months, though it was not clear yesterday whether he would issue a hard-and-fast order today to end the war on that specific timeline or declare his intentions in more general terms.

Also today, the Senate was expected to vote to confirm Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as Obama's secretary of state. Yesterday, the Senate approved seven of his other nominees, but put off the Clinton vote for a day.

With a single voice vote a few hours after Obama took the presidential oath, the Senate confirmed six cabinet members: Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The Senate also approved Peter Orszag to head the White House's Office of Management and Budget.

Democratic hopes to add Clinton to yesterday's approvals were sidetracked when Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) objected to the voice vote. He said he still had concerns about foreign donations to the foundation headed by Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, and wanted "a full and open debate and an up-or-down vote" on her nomination.

Senate leaders agreed to have a roll-call vote on Clinton today after three hours of debate. Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, predicted that "she will receive overwhelming bipartisan support."

Also left unconfirmed yesterday were several other top cabinet picks. Timothy Geithner, the treasury secretary nominee, faces the Senate Finance Committee today, where he will have to explain his initial failure to pay payroll taxes he owed while working for the International Monetary Fund.

The Judiciary Committee is expected to vote as early as today on Eric Holder's nomination to be attorney general.