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
More Guardsmen headed to DC, fencing to go up around Capitol
Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, at a press conference alongside Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Thursday morning, said that 6,200 Guardsmen will be deployed to the DC area by the weekend and, as of noon, 850 personnel are on Capitol grounds.
He also announced the National Guard will set up seven-foot fencing surrounding the Capitol complex from Constitution, Independence and First Ave to the front of the Capitol pond.
Around 4,000 new Guardsmen will arrive from Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Some of these troops were already going to be arriving in D.C. to help out with the inauguration, as they have in the past. The official said that their arrival has been accelerated and that they will be on month-long deployments to help out with the current situation and continue beyond the inauguration.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez and Quinn Owen
SCOTUS rejects Gohmert's appeal
After Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, filed an appeal to the Supreme Court in his suit against Vice President Mike Pence, the Supreme Court formally rejected the effort by Gohmert and nearly a dozen other Trump allies.
The suit attempted to force Pence to acknowledge he has the authority to reject electoral votes and effectively overturn the election, which was not within his power.
-ABC News' Devin Dwyer and Jonathan Karl
FBI director releases statement on Capitol breach
FBI Director Chris Wray has released a statement on Wednesday's violence and destruction of property at the Capitol, slamming the rioting as "a blatant and appalling disregard for our institutions of government and the orderly administration of the democratic process."
"As we've said consistently, we do not tolerate violent agitators and extremists who use the guise of First Amendment-protected activity to incite violence and wreak havoc. Such behavior betrays the values of our democracy. Make no mistake: With our partners, we will hold accountable those who participated in yesterday's siege of the Capitol," Wray said in the statement.
He said the FBI has deployed its full investigative resources and is working its partners to pursue those criminally involved. He also encouraged members of the public to provide tips.
"We are determined to find those responsible and ensure justice is served," he added.
-ABC News' Jake Date
White House withdraws DHS official's nomination, says it doesn't have to do with his call for Trump to condemn violence
Soon after acting Department of Homeland Security secretary Chad Wolf issued a statement calling on Trump to condemn Wednesday's violence, the White House said that his nomination to be DHS secretary had been withdrawn from the Senate.
But a White House spokesman said the withdrawal took place Wednesday and had nothing to do with Wolf's statement Thurdsay.
“The withdrawal occurred yesterday and was not related at all to Wednesday’s events or the Acting Secretary’s comments this morning," White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere said. "Acting Secretary Wolf remains the acting secretary and continues to perform the duties of his office."
Wolf is currently on a flight back from the Middle East, according to a person familiar with his whereabouts.
Wolf's nomination was only sent to the Senate on Sunday, the same day the new Congress was sworn in. He had previously been nominated in September.
-ABC News' Ben Gittleson and Luke Barr
White House flag lowered to half-staff in honor of Capitol police officers who died
Three days after Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died defending the Capitol against insurrectionists the White House lowered the U.S. flag to half-staff.
The decision to lower the flags came hours after Capitol Police also announced the off-duty death of Officer Howard Liebengood. The circumstances of his death have not been made public.
The U.S. attorney's office in Washington opened a federal murder investigation into the death of Sicknick, who died Thursday night after suffering injuries in the violent siege on Capitol Hill, three law enforcement sources confirmed to ABC News.
The investigation is being conducted jointly between the FBI and the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, with cooperation from U.S. Capitol Police.
Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen said in a statement that the Department of Justice "will spare no resources in investigating and holding accountable those responsible."
-ABC News' Elizabeth Thomas