State Dept. condemns arrests, repression in Russia

Biden signed 15 legislative actions on his first day in office, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing, several of which reversed actions by the previous administration.

The president signed an executive order reversing Trump's decisions to withdraw from the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Agreement.

Biden also put an end to the so-called Muslim Ban, "a policy rooted in religious animus and xenophobia," Psaki said, and signed a proclamation halting further funding or construction of the border wall and terminating the emergency diversion of funds for wall construction.

A broad executive order would also roll back regulatory reversals made by the Trump administration and place a temporary moratorium on all oil and natural gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the press secretary said.

Biden also sent his immigration bill to Congress. The act would provide long-term residents an opportunity to earn citizenship and "ensure that America can remain a refuge" for those fleeing prosecution, Psaki said. Biden additionally directed the secretary of homeland security to preserve the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Other actions addressed the coronavirus pandemic and economic relief, including a mask mandate on federal grounds, appointing a COVID-19 response coordinator and asking relevant agencies to extend nationwide moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures and the pause on student loan payments and interests.

Biden also launched an effort to "advance racial equity and root out systemic racism from federal programs and institutions," Psaki said.

The Senate confirmed Avril Haines as director of national intelligence by a vote of 84 to 10.

She is the first member of Biden's Cabinet to secure confirmation.

Haines is a former deputy director of the CIA and served as principal deputy national security adviser under former President Barack Obama. She was the first woman to hold both of those roles.

With the Senate's vote, Haines would become the first woman to lead the country's intelligence community.

Haines replaces former President Donald Trump's director of national intelligence John Ratcliffe, who served in the post for under a year.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin, Shannon Crawford, Libby Cathey and Meredith Deliso

Biden swore in hundreds of White House staff and agency appointees during a virtual ceremony Wednesday evening, saying he expects "honesty and decency" from the public servants.

"We have to restore the soul of this country," Biden told the appointees. "And I'm counting on all of you to be part of that, and it's not hyperbole." 

He reiterated that point when he added, "But I'm not joking when I say this: if you’re ever working with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise you I will fire you on the spot -- on the spot. No ifs, ands, or buts -- everybody, everybody is entitled to be treated with decency and dignity."

He administered the oath in the State Dining Room of the White House, as appointees appeared remotely on several large screens.

"As my mom would say, God love y'all," Biden said after the swearing-in. "We got a lot of work to do. Thank you for being willing to join."

Appearing before reporters in the Oval Office for the first time since he was sworn in, Biden described the letter left for him by Donald Trump as "very generous," but said he would not say more until he has spoken with the former president.

"The president wrote a very generous letter," Biden said in response to a question from ABC News. "Because it was private, I will not talk about it until I talk to him, but it was generous."

-ABC News' Molly Nagle and Ben Gittleson