Biden inauguration live updates: Biden prepares to take office as Trump leaves Washington behind

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By CATHERINE THORBECKE, IVAN  PEREIRA and LIBBY CATHEY, ABC News

(WASHINGTON) — It’s President-elect Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day. Outgoing President Donald Trump will be the first president in 152 years not to attend his successor’s inauguration.Here is how events are unfolding. All times Eastern:Jan 20, 5:02 amBiden to sign 17 executive orders on Inauguration DayPresident-elect Joe Biden will sign 17 executive actions on this first day as president — an increase in the number of executive orders initially previewed by incoming Chief of Staff Ron Klain this weekend and a show of force by Biden as he occupies the Oval Office.  The orders take aim at undoing much of President Trump’s signature and controversial actions during his four years as president including reversing the Muslim ban, stopping construction of the border wall, rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement and preserving the DACA program.  Incoming White House press secretary Jen Psaki stressed that while Biden’s actions would directly address some actions taken under Trump, the focus of Biden’s Inauguration Day work will be looking ahead. “His focus is on moving the country forward and that will be thematic tomorrow and in all of the actions he’s taking,” she said, adding that Biden will sign the executive orders in the Oval Office and the text of the orders will be released after they’re signed.  On a call with reporters Tuesday night, several of Biden’s top policy advisors, including COVID-19 response coordinator, Jeff Zeints; incoming National Economic Council director, Brian Deese; incoming White House Domestic Climate Policy Director Gina McCarthy; incoming White House Domestic Policy Council Director Ambassador Susan Rice; and incoming national security adviser to the president, Jake Sullivan, spoke about the specific actions Biden will take on his first day.  Biden’s team emphasized that the actions listed on the call were not comprehensive of all executive actions Biden planned to take in his early days in office.  One of Biden’s orders will direct his Secretary of Homeland Security to take all legal actions to preserve and fortify DACA. This follows ABC reporting that Biden will be sending Congress a policy that includes an eight-year pathway to citizenship for immigrants with no legal status and expanding admissions for refugees into the U.S.Biden will also rescind the Trump Administration’s 1776 Commission and revoke Trump’s executive order that limited federal agencies from implementing diversity and inclusion training. His order will also task the Office of Management and Budget with investing in underserved communities and communities of color. And following last summer’s landmark SCOTUS case that protects LGBTQ+ workers from discrimination, another EO plans to build off of that to ensure the federal government interprets Title VII and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by this decision.The COVID-19 pandemic is also a Day One issue and Biden will sign an order implementing his mask requirement in federal buildings and on federal land, as part of launching his “100 Days Mask Challenge,” which asks Americans to mask up for that time period.

Biden also plans to rejoin the Paris Agreement on Climate Change on his first day in office and encourage federal agencies to review and appropriately address federal actions taken under the Trump administration, including revoking the Keystone pipeline permit.Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.