State Dept. condemns arrests, repression in Russia

Lawmakers expressed outrage on Twitter Thursday night after photos of National Guardsmen allegedly being booted out of the congressional grounds and sequestered into a parking garage for their breaks went viral. 

The images were first reported by Politico, which stated that thousands of National Guardsmen were forced to vacate congressional grounds and take rest breaks in a parking garage. 

Tens of thousands of guardsmen were originally summoned to the nation’s capital to assist with security for Biden’s inauguration after the deadly mob attack earlier this month at the Capitol building.  

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle responded to the reports on Twitter. 

“If this is true, it's outrageous,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote. “I will get to the bottom of this.” 

The verified Senate Republicans Twitter handle called it “unacceptable” and said the guardsmen “should be welcomed back inside the Capitol ASAP.” 

Military veteran Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill, called the news “unreal”

“I can’t believe that the same brave servicemembers we’ve been asking to protect our Capitol and our Constitution these last two weeks would be unceremoniously ordered to vacate the building,” Duckworth said. “I am demanding answers ASAP. They can use my office.” 

On Friday morning, the Capitol Police Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman issued a statement assuring that, “with the exception of specific times on Inauguration Day itself while the swearing-in ceremonies were underway, the United States Capitol police did not instruct the National Guard to vacate the Capitol Building facilities.” 

Pittman said that the Capitol Police has worked tirelessly to identify accommodations for the guardsmen and that on Friday, “the Thurgood Marshall Judicial Office Building reached out directly to the National Guard to offer use of its facilities.” 

“As of this morning, all Guardsmen and women have been relocated to space within the Capitol Complex,” Pittman added. “The Department is also working with the Guard to reduce the need for sleeping accommodations by establishing shorter shifts and will ensure they have access to the comfortable accommodations they absolutely deserve when the need arises.” 

-ABC News’ Allison Pecorin and Chad Murray

The House will deliver the impeachment article against former President Trump to the Senate on Monday, formally launching trial proceedings next week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said on the Senate floor Friday.

Schumer's announcement follows a request from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to delay the trial until February to give Trump and his still-forming legal team time to prepare a defense.

Trump will be the first former president to face an impeachment trial. Some Senate Republicans have argued that the trial would be unconstitutional because the 45th president is no longer in office, a stance that could trigger a Senate debate and vote on the validity of the trial in the coming weeks.

"I have spoken to Speaker Pelosi who informed me that the articles will be delivered to the Senate on Monday," Schumer said.

"The Senate will conduct a trial of the impeachment of Donald Trump. It will be a full trial, it will be a fair trial," he added, without details on the length or format of the proceedings.

-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel, Katherine Faulders and Allison Pecorin

While White House press secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged that Biden's goal of getting 100 million Americans vaccinated against COVID-19 within the first 100 days of his presidency "was bold at the time" it was set and "continues to be," she insisted their efforts won't stop there.

"When we reach that goal, and we're confident we will, we're going to build from there. So we're not packing our bags at 100 million shots in the arms of Americans," Psaki told ABC News chief anchor George Stephanopoulos in an exclusive interview Friday on "Good Morning America."

"We want to make sure that people know that we're going to hold ourselves accountable and we're going to do everything to make sure we're getting as many people vaccinated as possible," she added.

Addressing the criticism from some congressional Republicans on Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion stimulus package, Psaki said the emergency relief plan "is big because the crises are big" but that it's really just an opening offer and the president believes they can get a bipartisan package.

"This is exactly how it should work," she said, "and it feels maybe unfamiliar to many people."

"The president of the United States laid out his agenda, laid out his bold vision. There's going to be a discussion with members of congress of both parties about where we go from here," she continued. "They'll like some pieces, they won't like some pieces, we'll see what the sausage looks like when it comes out of the machine."

"He's an optimist by nature, I can confirm for the American public," she said of Biden. "But also he's a believer, having spent 36 years in the Senate, that when the country is facing a crisis -- and we're facing multiple right now, not just health, the pandemic -- that Democrats and Republicans are going to have to come together to agree on a package to address this crisis."

When asked whether the Biden administration favours a delay on Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate in order to get more cabinet members confirmed, Psaki dodged the question and instead emphasized the urgent need for the confirmation process to move quickly.

"We want it to be expedited," she said. "Again, you know, the president is somebody who's focused on working with both parties to get both his cabinet through, address the crises we're facing, and that's what we're going to work to do everyday. We'll see if we're successful."

-ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky and Morgan Winsor

Harris and her husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, will stay at Blair House while repairs at the vice president's official residence, the Naval Observatory, are underway, a spokesperson told ABC News.

Blair House, which was built in 1824, is located just steps from the White House and is the oldest of four connected townhouses that comprise the president's guest house.

An aide had previously confirmed that Harris will not immediately move into the Naval Observatory to "allow for repairs to the home that are more easily conducted with the home unoccupied." The repairs are to replace the liners in the chimneys "and other household maintenance," the aide said.

-ABC News' Ben Siegel and Morgan Winsor