Impeachment article has 200 cosponsors: US rep.
The draft, citing "incitement of insurrection," could be introduced Monday.
President Donald Trump is slated to hand over control of the White House to President-elect Joe Biden in 11 days.
Top headlines:
- Rep. Cicilline: 'Just passed 200 cosponsors' on article of impeachment
- GOP Rep. Kinzinger: Best thing for the country is Trump to resign
- Pence to attend Biden's inauguration: Source
- Senate Democrat says Cruz, Hawley should resign or 'the Senate must expel them'
- Trump asked Georgia election investigator to 'find the fraud': Source
Statehouses advised to increase security after Capitol riot
Federal law enforcement officials have advised police agencies in state capitals to increase their security posture at statehouses around the country following the riot at the US Capitol, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
The concern, the sources said, is an emboldened right-wing that considered Wednesday a success and may next turn to locations in closer to home.
Like the U.S. Capitol, statehouses are often backdrops for demonstrations that law enforcement officials now fear could turn violent.
“The safety of the Massachusetts State House, its employees and its neighbors is of utmost importance. As we witness the events in Washington, DC and across the nation, we are aware of the need to ensure the safety of this building and those who work within it. We continually assess our security needs and will adjust as necessary,” said Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano in a joint statement.
Across the country in Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee activated the National Guard to patrol the Capitol Campus when the state legislature convenes Monday.
“As legislators begin their work on behalf of the people of the state of Washington, we must do whatever we can to ensure that they can do that work without fear, intimidation or harassment. The actions we saw in both Washington, D.C. and Olympia earlier this week were completely unacceptable and will not be repeated in our state capital again,” Inslee said.
Security was also increased around the statehouse in Maryland, Gov. Larry Hogan said.
“Maryland State Police as well as Maryland Capitol Police, some of which you see around here, have increased security around the Maryland State House complex, since there’s been a number of incidents at state capitols and governor’s mansions around the country,” Hogan said.
-ABC News' Aaron Katersky and Josh Margolin
Capitol rioter seen in photo carrying lantern arrested
Florida authorities say on Friday night they arrested one of the alleged Capitol rioters who was seen in a viral photograph carrying Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s lectern through the halls.
Adam Johnson, 36, of Parrish, Florida, is being held in Pinellas County Jail and charges are pending after federal marshals picked him up, according to arrest records.
Army reviewing whether to arm National Guardsmen for inauguration
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said Friday the Army will soon determine whether to allow Guardsmen to be armed for the inauguration based on a review of threat intelligence.
"We'll be looking at the intelligence and make a determination over the next day or so," McCarthy told the Associated Press. "It's just going to require us to get better intel, and then we'll have to make a risk assessment."
"The Secretary of the Army, in concert with Federal and Metropolitan leadership and D.C. National Guard continue to assess the security environment in the District of Columbia," an Army official told ABC News.
"As part of the standard mission analysis, we evaluate mission requirements based on requests, and it can include looking into the force posture level and the standing rules for the use of force. The Army is a planning organization and this a standard part of mission analysis," the official added.
- ABC News' Luis Martinez
Pelosi remains noncommittal on impeachment but urges Dems to 'be prepared'
After an hours-long phone call earlier Friday with the entire Democratic caucus, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in a new statement is walking a fine line on next steps and remaining noncommittal on moving forward with impeachment.
Pelosi said it's still Democrats' hope that Trump will "immediately resign."
"But if he does not, I have instructed the Rules Committee to be prepared to move forward with Congressman Jamie Raskin’s 25th Amendment legislation and a motion for impeachment. Accordingly, the House will preserve every option – including the 25th Amendment, a motion to impeach or a privileged resolution for impeachment," she said in the statement.
This comes after nearly 160 Democrats have signed on to legislation in support of a single article of impeachment against the president -- which it is expected that they still plan to introduce as early as Monday -- but Pelosi does not definitively say she will support it or that the chamber will move forward with impeachment.
- ABC News' Mariam Khan and Benjamin Siegel
Cheney argues an Electoral college challenge sets an 'exceptionally dangerous' precedent
Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., a member of House GOP leadership and one of the first prominent Republicans to acknowledge Biden's victory, sent a 21-page memo to her conference making the case against a challenge to the Electoral College certification process on Wednesday, arguing that it would improperly overrule states' authority over elections, and set a "dangerous precedent" down the line for future elections and sessions of Congress.
"By objecting to electoral slates, members are unavoidably asserting that Congress has the authority to overturn elections and overrule state and federal courts. Such objections set an exceptionally dangerous precedent, threatening to steal states’ explicit constitutional responsibility for choosing the President and bestowing it instead on Congress," Cheney wrote.
"This is directly at odds with the Constitution’s clear text and our core beliefs as Republicans. Democrats have long attempted, unconstitutionally, to federalize every element of our nation—including elections. Republicans should not embrace Democrats’ unconstitutional position on these issues," she added.
Cheney raises questions about the proposal from some Republicans to set up a commission to investigate concerns about the election, calling it a "problematic" set up that would take much longer than ten days to wrap up, and potentially delay the inauguration. The memo also exhaustively summarizes the court rulings against the president's legal efforts in the six states Republicans plan to target on Wednesday: Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and Pennsylvania.
-ABC News' Benjamin Siegel