By LIBBY CATHEY, JACK ARNHOLZ and LAUREN KING, ABC News
(WASHINGTON) — This is the seventh day of the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Here is how events are unfolding. All times Eastern:
Jan 26, 1:29 pm
GOP senator calls for vote on constitutionality of impeachment
Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul will force a vote in the Senate on the question of whether holding an impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump after he has left office is constitutional, he announced on the Senate floor Tuesday.
The afternoon vote forces Republicans to go on the record regarding how they might vote in Trump’s trial.
Paul called the impeachment effort a “travesty,” a “kangaroo court” and a “partisan exercise designed to further divide the country” during a floor speech announcing his intention to call the point of order — in which a senator can argue that the chamber is not operating according to its rules.
“Hyper-partisan Democrats are about to drag our great country down into the gutter of rancor and vitriol the likes of which has never been seen in our nation’s history,” Paul said.
He took issue with Democrats impeaching Trump, in large part, over his speech prior to the riot on Jan. 6. He cited examples of Democrats using similar language in floor speeches supporting bail funds for Minnesota protestors during George Floyd demonstrations over the summer.
“A shame this is — a travesty — a dark blot in the history of our country,” Paul said, urging colleagues to “move forward to debate the great issues of our day.”
Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson also rose to support Paul’s effort — and by default, the former president.
He said he wanted his collegaues to consider “not the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of that — I want them to consider is it wise.”
“Will the trial of a former president, of a private citizen, will it heal? Will it unify? I think the answer is clearly it will not,” Johnson said.
Jan 26, 12:41 pm
Senate confirms Antony Blinken to head State Dept.
The Senate has voted to confirm Antony Blinken as secretary of state by a 78-22 vote.
Blinken has advised Biden on foreign policy for almost two decades. Previously, he served as deputy secretary of state in the Obama-Biden administration. When serving in his capacity as national security adviser to Biden, he was present in the Situation Room during the Osama bin Laden raid, as captured by a famous photograph. Blinken was also a top staffer on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee when then-senator Biden was its chair.
As the country’s top diplomat, Blinken is expected to play a pivotal role in the Biden administration’s efforts to rebuild alliances and reenter international agreements like the Iran nuclear deal and the Paris Climate Agreement.
He is Biden’s fourth Cabinet confirmation following Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.
Jan 26, 12:15 pm
First woman VP swears-in first woman to head Treasury Dept.
Vice President Kamala Harris — the nation’s first woman vice president — has ceremonially sworn-in Janet Yellen — the first woman to lead the Treasury Department in its more than 230-year history.
Janet Yellen is sworn-in as the nation’s 78th Treasury secretary by Vice Pres. Harris. Yellen is the first woman to hold the job. https://t.co/lUV4RYPGMO pic.twitter.com/ItfFqHI0i7
— ABC News (@ABC) January 26, 2021
Yellen was sworn in outside the East side of the White House facing the Department of Treasury. She is now the first person have the distinction of serving as treasury secretary, chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and chair of the Federal Reserve.
She was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 84 to 15 on Monday evening.
Jan 26, 12:08 pm
Senator’s objection may offer glimpse of where GOP senators stand on impeachment
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Tuesday will make a point of order to dismiss former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate, forcing Republicans to go on the record, indicating how they might vote in a trial.
Asked by Capitol Hill reporters Monday if he would force a vote on the trial’s constitutionality, Paul said, “Yes.”
Then asked if he has an idea of how many of his Republican colleagues are going to support him, Paul said, “I think it’ll be enough to show that you know more than a third of the Senate thinks that the whole proceeding is unconstitutional — which will show that ultimately they don’t have the votes to do an impeachment.”
Jan 26, 11:48 am
Schumer celebrates path forward on power-sharing, McConnell warns of dangers of overturning filibuster
Both Senate leaders focused their floor remarks Tuesday on the Senate power-sharing agreement — which was agreed to Monday night when Minority Leader McConnell, feeling assured that Democrats do not have the votes to overturn the filibuster rule, agreed to move forward without language explicitly guaranteeing that the rule will stay in place.
According to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, McConnell “relented.”
“I’m glad we’re finally able to get the Senate up and running — my only regret is that it took so long,” Schumer said.
COVID-19 relief will now come into focus as a key priority for Democrats — with former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial looming.
Schumer left open the possibility of using other options to act on COVID-19 priorities if Republicans will not cooperate, saying the Senate will move “without them if we must.”
The whole of McConnell’s speech was focused on power-sharing and the importance of the legislative filibuster — which Republicans could use to obstruct Biden’s agenda and Democrats could vote to end.
McConnell is banking on Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virgina’s assurances that they will not change their minds on keeping the filibuster rule intact.
“If the Democratic majority were to attack the filibuster they would guarantee themselves immediate chaos,” McConnell said.
The stalemate reflected the logistical challenges of a 50-50 Senate in which Democrats carry power since Vice President Kamala Harris, as president of the Senate, has the power to cast tie-breaking votes.
Jan 26, 11:22 am
Senators to be sworn in for Trump impeachment trial
In the Senate chamber at about 2:15 p.m., a rarely used motion that calls all senators to their seats in the chamber — “a live quorum call” — is set to take place to ensure they all can stand together at once, raise their hand and take their oath as jurors in former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial.
Around 2:30 p.m., Former President Pro Tempore Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, will swear in his successor, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who will preside over the first-ever impeachment trial of a former president.
Leahy — instead of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts — will then swear in all senators.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow in an interview Monday night that Roberts wouldn’t be presiding over the trial because Trump is no longer the sitting president and confirmed that Leahy, although the presiding officer, will also be able to vote.
“The Constitution says the chief justice presides for a sitting president. So that is not going to be — so it was up to John Roberts whether he wanted to preside with a president who’s no longer sitting — Trump — and he doesn’t want to do it,” Schumer said. “So traditionally what has happened is then the next in line is the Senate Pro Tempore — that’s the most senior senator on the majority side, and that’s Sen. Leahy, who’s a very experienced man and a very fair man.”
A spokeswoman for Roberts Monday morning said the chief still officially has no comment.
Jan 26, 10:46 am
Biden’s top economic adviser soliciting ‘input’ on COVID-19 relief deal
National Economic Council Director Brian Deese told ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Mary Bruce in the White House driveway Monday morning that lawmakers wanting a lower-priced COVID-19 proposal from Biden haven’t said what that looks like but suggested there may be wiggle room on the amount of the direct payments to Americans.
In an appearance moments before on CNBC, Deese said a few times that the Biden administration is “looking for people’s input,” referring to negotiations with lawmakers over the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief deal.
After a phone call Sunday with 16 bipartisan senators and some representatives from the House Problem Solvers’ Caucus, another senior administration official said, “the feedback was constructive across the board” — but on Tuesday, Deese seemed to be soliciting counter-proposals from Republicans to make the package more palatable to them.
“We welcome the focus on targeting, including from Republican members and those provisions should have broad bipartisan support,” Deese said. “Certainly if there are ways to make that provision and other provisions more effective, that’s something we’re open to, that we’ll have conversations about.”
While Deese emphasized that the Biden administration is looking for ideas on how to tweak the package, he continued to emphasize the urgency to act soon. Biden said Monday he expects the negotiations could continue another “couple of weeks.”
The White House on Monday morning updated Biden’s schedule to include 4:45 p.m. remarks “on the fight to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Jan 26, 10:30 am
Republican senator to challenge Trump impeachment trial proceedings
Republicans are increasingly supportive of the belief that this trial is unconstitutional, and at least one will challenge the proceedings Tuesday.
Just before the Senate breaks for lunch around noon, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., will have about 15 minutes to make his argument as to why he thinks the impeachment trial is unconstitutional. He could raise a constitutional point of order — which should spark a vote — forcing senators to go on the record which could signal for the first time where most Republicans stand on convicting Trump.
On Tuesday afternoon, constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley — who was called as a witness by Republicans in Trump’s first impeachment trial and argued against his impeachment then — has been invited to speak at the weekly closed-door GOP lunch. While it isn’t clear if Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was involved in inviting Turley, he likely wouldn’t be at the Capitol Hill lunch if McConnell disapproved.
Turley recently wrote that “retroactive impeachment” — or impeachment or a former president — is not constitutional. However, the professor himself noted that he has changed his views over time and previously thought it was constitutional.
The absence of Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is another a key factor in many Republicans’ case against the legitimacy of the proceedings as Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is set to preside over the swearing-in of senators as jurors Tuesday afternoon.
Jan 26, 9:25 am
Senate considers Biden’s Cabinet as Trump’s impeachment trial looms
House impeachment managers on Monday delivered an article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump to the Senate, queuing up an unprecedented second trial and the first ever for a former president in the chamber.
The managers silently walked the article across the Capitol in the evening — from the House to the Senate — where senators, only three Republicans, awaited their arrival before lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin, D-Md., read it aloud.
The Senate will reconvene on Tuesday for senators to be sworn in as jurors and the “issuance of summons” to Trump, although his trial is not expected to start until Feb. 9 — an agreement made by Senate leaders to give Trump’s defense team time to prepare and the Senate the opportunity to confirm more of Biden’s Cabinet picks.
In order to convict Trump by a two-thirds majority, at least 17 Republican senators would need to join all 50 Democratic senators — a long-shot since several Republicans have aired grievances with the impeachment process but not with the actions of the former president. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is already expected to object to the proceedings.
Dividing its time, the Senate voted on Monday to confirm of Biden’s Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen — placing the first woman to lead the department. Yellen is Biden’s third Cabinet pick to be confirmed — as the administration continues to lag behind others in confirmations — and will receive a ceremonial swearing-in at the White House from the nation’s first female vice president Tuesday.
The Senate is expected to vote on Anthony Blinken to lead the State Department Tuesday and Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas to lead the Homeland Security Department, as well as consider the nomination of Rhode Island Gov. Gina Marie Raimondo as Biden’s commerce secretary.
Biden makes afternoon remarks outlining his racial equity agenda and signs more executive actions in the afternoon. He has already taken 33 executive actions — executive orders, proclamations and more — and 23 of them have aimed to reverse, roll back or just generally undo the Trump agenda, in areas ranging from climate change and COVID-19 to allowing transgender people to openly service in the military.
Domestic Policy Adviser Susan Rice will appear with White House press secretary Jen Psaki at her daily press briefing at 12:30 p.m.
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