Trump announces new impeachment legal team

The South Carolina GOP voted on Saturday to censure Rep. Tom Rice, one of the 10 Republicans who supported impeaching Trump -- formally rebuking one of their own in another sign that Trump continues to hold significant sway over the Republican Party. 

The move, although symbolic, was approved by 43 members of the executive committee, with two abstaining and none voting against it.

"Congressman Rice's vote unfortunately played right into the Democrats' game, and the people in his district, and ultimately our State Executive Committee, wanted him to know they wholeheartedly disagree with his decision," Drew McKissick, the chair of the state party, said in a statement. 

Rice represents the 7th Congressional District, which stretches from the border with North Carolina to Myrtle Beach and backed Trump by nearly 20 points in the 2020 election.

After the impeachment vote, McKissick said he was "severely disappointed" in Rice, a five-term congressman.

-ABC News' Kendall Karson

White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield defended President Joe Biden’s use of executive actions on ABC’s “The View” on Friday.

“What he's done is looked at some of the most egregious, damaging actions from the Trump administration, done by executive order, and used his authority as president to roll those back and to undo that damage and to start to get us on a better path,” Bedingfield said.

--ABC News' Adia Robinson

Some of Biden's most notable orders include opening a three-month enrollment period to allow more Americans to sign up for health care during the pandemic, rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, stopping construction of the wall on the Southern Border of the U.S., revoking the Pentagon's ban on transgender people serving in the military and eliminating the Justice Department use of private prisons.

Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer signaled that Democrats are preparing to move forward with budget reconciliation: a complex, fast-track process that requires just a simple majority to pass legislation rather than the usual 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster and move forward. In a Senate now split 50-50, the procedure could allow Democrats to pass legislation without a single Republican in favor, with Vice President Kamala Harris able to cast a tie-breaking vote.

A vote on a Senate budget resolution, which is the first step in beginning the reconciliation process, is expected next week in the Senate. It would then go to the House for consideration.

Republicans are calling foul, warning Democrats that using reconciliation to pass COVID relief will diminish Biden's calls for unity throughout his campaign and in his inaugural address.

-ABC News' Allison Pecorin and Trish Turner