WASHINGTON (CNN) - The president-elect Barack Obama could reverse some of President Bush ’s most controversial executive orders, including restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, soon after taking office in January.

Two other executive orders by Bush - a case of a so-called “gag” order of international aid organizations in relation to abortion, the other with oil and gas drilling on federal land - are also receiving more attention.

Obama ’s transition team is reviewing hundreds of Bush’ s executive orders, according to John Podesta Obama ’s transition co-chairman.

New presidents often use executive orders to put his stamp on Washington quickly. Unlike the laws, which require months to complete and the consent of Congress, presidents can use their executive authority to federal agencies to implement current policies.

“Much of what makes a president who actually has to do with Congress - for example, budgeting, policy legislation - but enforcement measures are ones where the president can act alone,” said Martha Kumar of the White House Transition Project, a nonpartisan group established to help the new presidential administrations.

Obama is expected to use his executive authority to reverse Bush ’s order to limit the types of embryonic stem cell research eligible for federal tax dollars.

Advocates for people with a range of diseases - including diabetes, Parkinson ’s disease and spinal cord injuries - are eagerly awaiting the Bush-era restrictions to be lifted.

“We have reason to believe - if not the first day, and then in the very near future - which will be issuing a warrant for the repeal of this policy,” said Rick Amy Comstock, president of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research.

In August 2001, Bush banned the National Institutes of Health funding for research on embryonic stem cells other than the use of 60 cell lines already in existence when he signed the executive order.

Investigators say the ban has limited its progress and want the opportunity to create new human embryonic stem cells. Many conservatives, however, oppose the destruction of human embryos because they believe that ends a human life.

But the White House, Dana Perino, spokeswoman on Monday suggested that the next administration Obama should consider keeping Bush ’s policy in place.

“Unfortunately, the president ’s position on stem cells has been misinterpreted over the years, with the suggestion that President Bush put a ban on the research of embryos for stem cell research. That is not true, “said Perino. “The president made a very important election after a lot of careful deliberation.”

Other controversial measures are expected to Bush Obama invalidate are related to abortion and family planning.

U.S. State Department officials and family planning groups such as Planned Parenthood said they expect Obama to overthrow the “Mexico City” policy, first instituted by the Reagan administration. The policy prevents taxpayer dollars from funding groups that perform or promote abortions abroad.

President Clinton dropped the order, but Bush re-implemented and the extension of the policy to secure funding from the State Department is not going to family planning organizations that even lawyers on abortion.

An Obama administration could also revoke the Bush administration’s policy of prohibiting funding of organizations like the Population Fund of the United Nations operating in the countries where the practice of forced sterilization, including China, which adheres to the ” , one child “policy.

Podesta said his team also is reviewing Bush ’s decision to lift restrictions on oil drilling in fragile federal land in Utah. Environmental groups denounced Bush ’s decision when he opened the lands for exploration of this month, called Podesta and the decision a “mistake”.

A series of executive orders that may take longer to reverse refers to the detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, military prison.

Obama has said he wants to close the prison, but Denis McDonough, a senior adviser to the next Democrat, said Monday that no decisions have been made about what to do with the prison ’s 255 inmates.

Reversing Bush ’s executive orders would be a immediate way for Obama to demonstrate that a new era has begun in Washington.

So what policy will go first?

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