"The inauguration of Barack Obama as the forty-fourth President, and Joe Biden as Vice President, took place on January 20, 2009. In his first few days in office Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda reversing President Bush's ban on federal funding to foreign establishments that allow abortions (known as the Mexico City Policy and referred to by critics as the "Global Gag Rule"),[135] changed procedures to promote disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act,[136] directed the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from Iraq,[137] and reduced the secrecy given to presidential records.[138] He also issued orders closing Guantanamo Bay detention camp "as soon as practicable and no later than" January 2010.[139] The first 100 days of Barack Obama's presidency included his signing into law a $787 billion economic stimulus package on February 17, 2009. The bill included increased federal spending, aid to states, and tax reductions.[140] Although Obama made a high-profile visit to Capitol Hill to engage with Congressional Republicans, the bill ultimately passed largely on a party-line vote.[141] Early in his presidency, Obama moved to implement the war strategy he had campaigned on, scaling back combat operations in Iraq and intensifying the effort in Afghanistan.[142] On February 18, 2009 he announced that the U.S. troop strength in Afghanistan would be boosted by 17,000.[143] On February 27, 2009, Obama declared that combat operations would end in Iraq within 18 months.[144]" Source: Wikipedia