Within moments of becoming President Barack Obama, incoming Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel dispatched a memo to all federal agencies ordering all “midnight rules” issued by the administration of outgoing Republican President George W. Bush to be frozen pending a review by the new administration.

This move successfully blocks such last-minute controversial rules as the provider conscience rule and a move to allow visitors to national parks to carry weapons. The conscience rule would have provided health care providers working for places receiving federal funds to decline to perform medical procedures they found morally objectionable. Pro-choice advocates had raised concerns because the new rules would allow pharmacists to decline to fill birth control prescriptions as well as allow doctors not to discuss abortion as an options for unwanted pregnancies.”