State Dept. condemns arrests, repression in Russia

In a new letter to colleagues, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says former President Trump will have had plenty of time to prepare for his upcoming Senate trial, which could start as soon as next week. 
Republicans have called foul over the fact that the impeachment in the House was rushed and now they want to give the former president until mid-February to mount his defense.

But Pelosi is making it clear that the article will be sent to the Senate on Monday and that the process will be fair to the former president. 

"The House has been respectful of the Senate’s constitutional power over the trial and always attentive to the fairness of the process. When the Article of Impeachment is transmitted to the Senate, the former President will have had nearly two weeks since we passed the Article. Our Managers are ready for trial before the 100 Senate jurors," she writes in her letter. 

Once the article of impeachment is delivered to the Senate Monday, the trial must start by Tuesday at 1 p.m. unless Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell come up with an agreement that could give both sides more time to prepare. 

-ABC News' Mariam Khan

During a remarks on Friday, President Biden highlighted the dire economic situation many Americans are facing as the pandemic rages. 

“We cannot, will not, let people go hungry. We cannot let people be evicted because of nothing they did themselves,” Biden said. “I cannot watch people lose their jobs … We have to act. We have to act now.” 

“It's not just to meet the moral obligation to treat our fellow Americans with the dignity and respect they deserve, this is an economic imperative,” he added, noting there is a growing consensus among top economists calling for big action to buoy the economy in this moment of crisis.

Biden touted his $1.9 trillion economic rescue plan, saying it has received broad, bipartisan support. 

The president cited a Moody’s analysis that estimates the plan will result in the economy creating 7.5 million jobs this year alone. 

“We have to do this, we have to move,” the president said. 

“We’re going to finish the job of getting a total of $2,000 in direct payments to folks,” Biden added, noting that the $600 payments that passed in late 2020 is “not enough.” 

“I look forward to working with members of Congress of both parties to move quickly to get this American rescue plan to the American people,” the president said.

After his remarks, Biden signed two executive orders -- one that will provide expanded food assistance and one that will launch a process to require federal contractors to pay their workers a $15 minimum wage and provide emergency paid leave.

First Lady Jill Biden made a surprise visit to the Capitol building to deliver some sweets to National Guard troops. 

The first lady, carrying a basket, thanked the guard members for their service and said the Bidens were a National Guard family, referencing the late Beau Biden. 

Jill Biden also reportedly distributed chocolate chip cookies and posed for a group photo with some of the troops. 

Her visit Friday comes after photos of National Guard members sleeping in a parking garage sparked outrage from both sides of the aisle on social media.

Psaki confirmed at a press briefing Friday that Biden has invoked the Defense Production Act to help combat the COVID-19 crisis. 

“There was a question yesterday about whether the Defense Production Act had been invoked,” she said. “It has been invoked, so those processes are now rapidly ongoing.”

While she said she didn’t have specific companies involved, she said “those conversations are happening as we speak.”