Within minutes of assuming power, the US's 43rd President, Mr George W. Bush, moved to block dozens of executive orders and regulations dealing with the environment, health and food and safety rushed through in the final weeks of the Clinton administration.
Tomorrow he is expected to move a major Education Bill before Congress.
Following his inauguration on Saturday, and a night of raucous celebrations at some 10 official balls throughout the city attended by as many as 50,000, the administration is determined to be seen to hit the ground running.
Congress can expect White House aides to pull off the kid gloves they wore ahead of President Clinton's departure and to throw themselves into lobbying for the legislation and against attempts to block Mr Bush's cabinet nominee for Attorney General, Mr John Ashcroft.
On Saturday, Congress went into special session to confirm seven of the cabinet: Gen Colin Powell (State), Mr Paul O'Neill (Treasury), Mr Donald Rumsfeld (Defence), Mr Rod Paige (Education), Mr Spencer Abraham (Energy), Mr Don Evans (Commerce) and Ms Ann Venneman (Agriculture).
In his inaugural address, Mr Bush pledged to bring about "a single nation of justice and opportunity", reaching out to the poor and those unconvinced by the American dream. And he called on Americans to "be citizens, not spectators".
It was delivered in freezing rain outside the Capitol in front of his predecessor, Mr Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton, an extended Bush family and a host of political leaders. Among them, perhaps most uncomfortably, was the outgoing Vice-President, Mr Al Gore, the winner of the popular vote for president by some 500,000.
The 35-word oath of office was delivered by an emotional Mr Bush to Chief Justice William Rehnquist, a man who had played no small part in bringing him there in ruling that Florida should end its recounts.
Ten thousand then participated in the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House to the jeers of several thousand demonstrators convinced that the election was "stolen".
Mr Clinton flew to New York City and headed to the family's home in the suburb of Chappaqua.
