State Dept. condemns arrests, repression in Russia

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in floor remarks Thursday, slammed the Biden administration for executive actions it took Wednesday as the president barrels toward dismantling his successor's legacy at an aggressive rate.

"On the Biden administration's very first day, it took several big steps in the wrong direction," McConnell said, pointing to the orders to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, revoke a key permit for the proposed Keystone pipeline and halt deportations of certain non-citizens for 100 days to review its policies.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as expected, celebrated the early executive orders of the Biden administration in his floor speech.

"What a concept: A president who actually takes the defining crisis of our time seriously. What a change. And how great is the need," Schumer said. 

The new Senate leader also called for unity in confirming Biden's Cabinet nominees. 

"Let the first week of this Congress be a collaboration between our two parties to confirm President Biden's Cabinet," Schumer said.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

Just after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell finished congratulating Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on his new role during his floor remarks Thursday afternoon, he turned to the first major obstacle at hand for the evenly divided Senate: a power sharing agreement. 

Democrats carry control of the chamber because Harris, as president of the Senate, has the power to cast tie-breaking votes for Democrats, but with representation of each party in the Senate equal, McConnell and Schumer have been in negotiations for the the rules of the new session.

Aides familiar with discussions between McConnell and Schumer say that the outstanding issue on agreement is McConnell's insistence that Schumer affirm his intention to leave the Senate filibuster rules -- which require 60 votes to pass legislation -- intact. Schumer hasn't yet committed to that, according to aides. 

McConnell called the filibuster a "crucial" part of the Senate in his floor remarks. 

"If the talk of unity and common ground is to have meaning -- and certainly if the rules from 20 years ago are to be our guide -- than I cannot imagine the Democratic leader would rather hold up the power sharing agreement than simply reaffirm that his side won't be breaking this standing rule of the Senate," McConnell said. 

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

In his first address as president, Biden called for unity, truth and racial justice as the nation faces a worsening pandemic and bitter partisanship.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi opened her first weekly presser since Democrats took control of the Senate and the White House by praising Biden's message of unity and remaining tight-tipped about when she'll send the article of impeachment charging former President Donald Trump with "incitement of insurrection" to the Senate.

She said the chambers are "ready" to proceed and said "it will be soon" but that transmission of the article is being held up by questions about how the trial will work.

Asked whether the trial could alienate Republican supporters of the president, Pelosi argued that to not hold Trump accountable would be "harmful to unity."

"I don't think it is very unifying to say, 'Oh, let's just forget it and move on.' That is not how you unify. Joe Biden said it beautifully. If you're going to unite, you must remember," Pelosi said.

"Just because he's now gone -- thank God -- you don't say to a president, 'Do whatever you want in the last months of your administration. You're going to get a get-out-of-jail card free,' because people think we should make nice and forget that people died here on Jan. 6," she said.

Pelosi didn't rule out the the possibility that theconduct of lawmakers could come under investigation in a probe of the Capitol Hill riot, accusing some members of giving "aid and comfort" to rioters.

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel