Biden wants Congress to take action on gun reform

Biden will sign three executive orders on Tuesday aimed at reforming the U.S. immigration system and rolling back his predecessor’s policies, including creating a task force aimed at reuniting children who American authorities separated from their families on the border, according to the White House.

Chaired by the homeland security secretary, the task force would work to identify all families broken apart under the various forms of the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance policy,” which separated children from relatives at the U.S. border, even before it became an official policy, a senior Biden administration official said.
The task force, which would be vice-chaired by the secretaries of state and health and human services, would manage family reunifications on a case-by-case basis, making different immigration benefit determinations for different families, the official said.

Biden plans to sign another order that would direct his administration to address the root causes of migration from Central America and have the secretary of homeland security review the Trump administration’s Migrant Protection Protocols program, under which asylum seekers are sent to Mexico to wait for court appearances north of the border, the White House said. The third order will call for a review of the “public charge” rule former President Donald Trump tried to use to limit poor immigrants from coming to the country legally, according to the White House.

The rollout of these immigration actions had been pushed back when the Senate delayed a confirmation vote for Biden's pick for homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, the White House said last week. The Senate is scheduled to vote on his nomination Tuesday afternoon. If confirmed, he'll be the first immigrant and first Latino to lead the agency.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki will hold a press briefing at 12:30 p.m. ahead of the evening signing.

-ABC News' Ben Gittleson and Quinn Owen

It's a Washington fact that pursuing 60 Senate votes can make it harder to get to 50.

It's also a Washington fact that controlling the Senate with 50 votes means there are 50 majority-makers -- and an equal number of majority-breakers.

It's a Washington theory that has Biden trying to keep both bipartisan and partisan paths alive in seeking a deal on COVID-19 relief.

In the meantime, progressives are starting to voice concerns that Biden will give too much to get Republicans on board. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has made clear he wants Republicans to negotiate with their fellow senators, as opposed to with Biden directly, while congressional leaders start the budget process on their end this week.

The kind of meeting Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, calls "very productive, cordial" is not going to be viewed the same way among Democrats. Then there's Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., perhaps the most conservative Senate Democrat and a vote his party needs as always, now smarting from a few perceived White House slights.

At stake are lifelines for millions of Americans, and something broader when it comes to the political system: a test of Biden's ability to govern in post-Trump Washington.

Biden's problem isn't finding dance partners. It may be that there are still too many options -- each of them still hearing different tunes.

-ABC News' Political Director Rick Klein

After nearly two hours in the Oval Office with Biden, the group of GOP senators departed -- stopping briefly for Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, to speak to reporters.

Collins characterize the meeting as "productive" and "cordial" but did not say that any specific progress toward a compromise had been made. 

"I wouldn't say that we came together on a package tonight," Collins said. "But what we did agree to do is follow up and talk further at the staff level and amongst ourselves and with the president and vice president on how we can continue to work together on this very important issue." 

Collins said the group outlined their $600 billion package for Biden and that he explained aspects of his plan. Collins did not say how the GOP proposal was received by the president. 

She also expressed her appreciation for Biden's hosting. 

"We are very appreciative that as his first official meeting in the oval office the president chose to spend so much time with us in a frank and very useful discussion," Collins said.

The senators did not answer any questions shouted by reporters.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin

The 10 Republican senators meeting with Biden at the White House on COVID-19 relief are expected to speak to reporters immediately following the Oval Office meeting.

The group -- led by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine -- includes Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Bill Cassidy, R-La., Mitt Romney, R-Utah, Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Todd Young, R-Ind., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

They unveiled the details of their COVID-19 relief proposal in a letter to the president on Sunday.