State Dept. condemns arrests, repression in Russia

Former President Donald Trump's acting Department of Homeland Security secretary is urging the Senate to confirm Joe Biden's nominee for the post.

In a letter Friday to the Senate Homeland Security Committee that was obtained by ABC News, Kevin McAleenan argued that due to the ongoing pandemic, immigration issues and U.S. national security interests, the Senate should vote to confirm Alejandro Mayorkas.

"There has been a long-standing, bipartisan commitment to ensure that a duly-elected President receives swift confirmation of the national security positions in his Cabinet. There should be no exception to this commitment today, when multi-faceted challenges and threats face our nation, and effective responses from our Federal Government are essential," wrote McAleenan, who also noted that domestic terrorism is an "increasing concern."

McAleenan also vouched for Mayorkas' credentials in his letter.

"After serving under his leadership during the Obama Administration, I know that Ali Mayorkas has the character, intellect, and integrity to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security," he wrote. "He has the humility to listen to his operational component leaders and has the character to make difficult decisions."

-ABC News' Luke Barr

The Senate is not expected to take any additional votes on Biden appointees Friday, ABC News has learned. 

That means Biden will head into his first weekend as president with only two Senate-confirmed appointees: Avril Haines, who was confirmed as director of national intelligence Wednesday, and Lloyd Austin, who was confirmed as defense secretary Friday.

The Senate left Friday without voting on the nomination of Janet Yellen to serve as treasury secretary. Her nomination unanimously passed out of the Senate Finance committee Friday morning. It's not clear why the Senate did not vote on Yellen.

The Senate will also leave for the weekend without voting on several other nominees who sat for confirmation hearings this week.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer blamed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for the stall. 

"He's the one holding things up," Schumer said. 

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

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.