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Tuesday, January 26

One of Joe Biden's campaign themes was unity, but the new president's administration is already arguing with Republicans on what constitutes unity.

Can President Biden's messaging bring an end to political rancor under former President Trump?

Happy Tuesday, OnPolitics readers! Snow and wifi-problems can't stop, won't stop the news from happening.

President Joe Biden is pushing full-steam ahead with more executive orders that undo former President Donald Trump's policies. Meanwhile, the Senate is ironing out details for Trump's impeachment trial. And amid it all, Biden and Republicans are still figuring out how to get along.

PS: Did you see that the White House is speeding up a move stalled under Trump to put abolitionist hero Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill?

It's Mabinty, with the day's top political news.

'A more equitable society'

After focusing his first few days on the coronavirus pandemic, Biden is turning the spotlight on racial inequality. On Tuesday, the president outlined his agenda for fighting racial inequality, one of the four "converging crises" he has said is facing the nation. The executive actions Biden signed include:

•	Directing the Housing Department to address racially discriminatory federal housing policies.
•	Not renewing the Justice Department's contracts with private prisons.
•	Recommitting federal respect for tribal sovereignty.
•	Directing federal agencies to mitigate xenophobia and violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

"We need to make equity and justice part of what we do every day," Biden said during the signing of the orders," today, tomorrow and every day."

More steps are expected, including on criminal justice and police reform.

Unity vs. bipartisanship

Biden entered the White House calling for unity to meet a convergence of crises, telling Americans that "politics doesn't have to be a raging fire" as he called on both parties to "start afresh" in his inauguration speech.

Republicans are pushing back, saying unity isn't measured by finding complete agreement in Congress, but instead in civility and working for all Americans, not just speaking to a political base.

Another problem with unity? Trump's impeachment

The Senate voted Tuesday to uphold the constitutionality of the impeachment trial of Trump, but the vote suggested a lack of support for convicting him on the charge of inciting insurrection.

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., forced the vote with a point of order arguing that Trump couldn't be tried as a private citizen – and if he were tried, that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts should preside.

Trump's Senate impeachment trial is unusual in a number of ways. It's the first time a president has been impeached twice. It's the first time a president has been tried after leaving office. And senators are witnesses in addition to jurors – as well as the presiding officer.

The trial is scheduled to resume Feb. 9.

More news to know:

•	The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed Antony Blinken to be the nation's 71st secretary of state.
•	The acting chief of the United States Capitol Police apologized to members of Congress for her agency's failures during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
•	Capitol Police have a $500M budget. Why were they unprepared at the Jan. 6 riot?