President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general continued efforts to distance himself from the president Tuesday as he testified before Senators at his confirmation hearing.

Under questioning by the Senate Judiciary Committee, William Barr said he would not "not carry out" any order to fire special counsel Robert Mueller without cause.

The comments were in response to a question from Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware.

Mueller's team is examining potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. Barr said repeatedly Tuesday he wants Mueller to finish the investigation.

Trump's nominee was also asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is a friend or a foe to the United States.

Barr said while Russia is a "potent rival" of the U.S. with foreign policy objectives "usually at direct contrary," he minimized the threat from Moscow and said China, not Russia is the "primary rival" of the United States.

Throughout his testimony, Barr acknowledged Russian attempts to meddle in the 2016 election but said Russia "is half the size it was was" during the Cold War with an economy nowhere near the size of China's.

And he said he's concerned "that the fixation on Russia not obscure the danger from China."

On a separate topic, Barr told the committee he can't rule out jailing reporters for doing their jobs.

In  response to a question from Sen. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, Barr said that there are certain situations where a reporter could be held in contempt "as a last resort."

Barr said the situations he was envisioning would involve news organizations "putting out stuff that is hurting the country."

POOL

Washington, DC - 15 January 2019

1. Wide shot of William Barr sitting before the Senate Judiciary Committee as it returns from break

2. Wide cutaway of committee

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, Democrat, Delaware:

"So most famously when directed by President Nixon to fire the special counsel the prosecutor investigating Watergate, Richardson refused and resigned instead as we all well know. If the president directed you to change those regulations and then fire Mueller or simply directly fire Mueller, would you follow Richardson's example and resign instead?"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"Assuming there was no good cause?

(Coons: Assuming no good cause.)

I would not carry out that instruction."

5. Cutaway of Coons

6. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"As I said, I'm going to carry out those regulations and I want him to finish this investigation."

7. Wide shot of hearing

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"Well I don't hold myself out as a foreign policy expert but I think that he is, I think the Russians are a potent rival of our country and his foreign policy objectives are usually at directly contrary to our goals. I think he wants to weaken the American alliances in Europe and he also wants to become a player in the Middle East, more of a player in the Middle East. A lot of his foreign policy objectives are are at odds with ours. At the same time, I think the primary rival of the United States is China. I think, you know, Russia is half the size it was when we were facing them at the peak of the Cold War. Their economy is, long term prognosis, is nowhere near China's. But I'm concerned that the fixation on Russia not obscure the danger from China."

9. Wide shot of hearing

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Democrat, Minnesota:

"If you're confirmed, will the Justice Department jail reporters for doing their jobs?"

11. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I think that, you know, there are guidelines in place and I can conceive of situations where you know, as a last resort and where a news organization has run through a red flag or something like that, knows that they're putting out stuff that will hurt the country, there might be, there could be a situation where someone would be held in contempt."

12. Wide shot of hearing

President Donald Trump's nominee for attorney general continued efforts to distance himself from the president Tuesday as he testified before Senators at his confirmation hearing.

Under questioning by the Senate Judiciary Committee, William Barr said he would not "not carry out" any order to fire special counsel Robert Mueller without cause.

The comments were in response to a question from Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware.

Mueller's team is examining potential ties between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign. Barr said repeatedly Tuesday he wants Mueller to finish the investigation.

Trump's nominee was also asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin is a friend or a foe to the United States.

Barr said while Russia is a "potent rival" of the U.S. with foreign policy objectives "usually at direct contrary," he minimized the threat from Moscow and said China, not Russia is the "primary rival" of the United States.

Throughout his testimony, Barr acknowledged Russian attempts to meddle in the 2016 election but said Russia "is half the size it was was" during the Cold War with an economy nowhere near the size of China's.

And he said he's concerned "that the fixation on Russia not obscure the danger from China."

On a separate topic, Barr told the committee he can't rule out jailing reporters for doing their jobs.

In  response to a question from Sen. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, Barr said that there are certain situations where a reporter could be held in contempt "as a last resort."

Barr said the situations he was envisioning would involve news organizations "putting out stuff that is hurting the country."

POOL

Washington, DC - 15 January 2019

1. Wide shot of William Barr sitting before the Senate Judiciary Committee as it returns from break

2. Wide cutaway of committee

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, Democrat, Delaware:

"So most famously when directed by President Nixon to fire the special counsel the prosecutor investigating Watergate, Richardson refused and resigned instead as we all well know. If the president directed you to change those regulations and then fire Mueller or simply directly fire Mueller, would you follow Richardson's example and resign instead?"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"Assuming there was no good cause?

(Coons: Assuming no good cause.)

I would not carry out that instruction."

5. Cutaway of Coons

6. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"As I said, I'm going to carry out those regulations and I want him to finish this investigation."

7. Wide shot of hearing

8. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"Well I don't hold myself out as a foreign policy expert but I think that he is, I think the Russians are a potent rival of our country and his foreign policy objectives are usually at directly contrary to our goals. I think he wants to weaken the American alliances in Europe and he also wants to become a player in the Middle East, more of a player in the Middle East. A lot of his foreign policy objectives are are at odds with ours. At the same time, I think the primary rival of the United States is China. I think, you know, Russia is half the size it was when we were facing them at the peak of the Cold War. Their economy is, long term prognosis, is nowhere near China's. But I'm concerned that the fixation on Russia not obscure the danger from China."

9. Wide shot of hearing

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Democrat, Minnesota:

"If you're confirmed, will the Justice Department jail reporters for doing their jobs?"

11. SOUNDBITE (English) William Barr, Attorney General Nominee:

"I think that, you know, there are guidelines in place and I can conceive of situations where you know, as a last resort and where a news organization has run through a red flag or something like that, knows that they're putting out stuff that will hurt the country, there might be, there could be a situation where someone would be held in contempt."

12. Wide shot of hearing

Following a hearing with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday, many Senators seemed dissatisfied with the tech mogul's testimony.

Zuckerberg disclosed Tuesday his company is "working with" special counsel Robert Mueller in the federal probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign — and working hard to change its own operations after the harvesting of users' private information by a Trump campaign-affiliated data-mining company.

"We have to continue to press Facebook, continue to press Mr. Zuckerberg," said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., after the hearing.

The founder of the social media giant publicly apologized for his company's errors in failing to better protect the personal information of its millions of users, a controversy that has brought a flood of bad publicity and sent the company's stock value plunging.

"I'm not yet satisfied that we've got an accounting for why Facebook took so long to be fully transparent with the public about what happened with Cambridge Analytica," said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware.

Coons also criticized President Donald Trump for tweets he made Tuesday accusing Special Counsel Robert Mueller of violating attorney-client privilege.

"My concern is that as this investigation gets closer and closer to him or his family or his attorney, he is more likely to take some abrupt and unwise action," he said.

Washington - April 10, 2018

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Ed Markey, (D) Massachusetts

"In my opinion, we have to continue to press Facebook continue to press Mr. Zuckerberg. It should be the parents of America not Facebook who determine whether or not children's information is resold to third parties. That should be a fundamental privacy bill of rights for young people in our country. I think that's why most Americans are watching. They want to know the answer to these questions. Everything that happened in Cambridge Analytica is something that then raises questions in American families about what protections they have, what protections their children have."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Ed Markey, (D) Massachusetts

"I hope that he provides all of the information which the Mueller investigation is requiring. I think it's absolutely indispensable that the American people have every bit of information out in public which makes it possible for them to determine whether or not there was, in fact, an interference with the election of 2016. It's a sacred institution that we fought the American Revolution to protect. And Facebook should provide every bit of information which is necessary for them to be able in the Mueller investigation to get the answers for the American people."

3. Sen. Dick Durbin enters

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Dick Durbin, (D) Illinois

"There is a genuine concern with the decision by the U.S. attorney of the Southern District of New York to go into Mr. Cohen's law offices and private residence. This is getting closer and closer to the President, and we hope he does not over-react. Leaders within the Republican Party has said consistently that he should not fire Bob Mueller."

5. Wide of Sen. Chris Coons

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware

"I'm not yet satisfied that we've got an accounting for why Facebook took so long to be fully transparent with the public about what happened with Cambridge Analytica."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware

"I think this will be the first of several important hearings that will allow the American people to better understand the ways in which their personal data has been monetized, and in some cases misused by important social media platforms like Facebook and others. While I was encouraged by the positive statements made by Mr. Zuckerberg at the beginning of the hearing, in my questioning I try to point out to him that there have been many cases where profits seem to be put ahead of privacy."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware

"President Trump has made a number of really disturbing statements in recent days -- particularly following a Department of Justice and FBI raid on his personal attorney Michael Cohen's home and office. And more and more, President Trump is saying things about his view that Robert Mueller's investigation is a witch hunt that the attorney general Jeff Sessions shouldn't have recused himself. Now we know full well that months ago President Trump was determined to fire Robert Mueller and was only stopped by his own White House counsel Don McGahn threatening to resign. My concern is that as this investigation gets closer and closer to him or his family or his attorney he is more likely to take some abrupt abrupt and unwise action on a bipartisan basis, Republicans and Democrats have said in the Senate don't do that. It's not in our country's interest. It's not in your interest."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Bill Nelson (D) Florida

"But my personal information -- I don't want the Russians to have it, I don't want commercial users to have it. My personally identifiable private information ought to be private to me."

AP Reporter Lisa Mascaro says the first day of a Senate hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was filled with opposition and chaos.

"There were Democratic senators calling for the session to be postponed. And there were protests coming from many people in the audience," Mascaro, who was inside the courtroom, said.

Democrats raised objections from the moment Chairman Chuck Grassley gaveled the committee to order. One by one, Democrats, including Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, all potential presidential contenders, demanded that Republicans delay the hearing. They railed against the unusual vetting process by Republicans that failed to include documents from three years Kavanaugh worked in the Bush administration, and 100,000 more pages withheld by the Trump White House. Some 42,000 pages were released to senators only, not the public, on the evening before the hearing.

In his statement, Kavanaugh touted the importance of an independent judiciary as his confirmation hearings began with strident Democratic criticism that he would be President Donald Trump's man on the high court.

On Wednesday, Kavanaugh can expect to spend most of the day in the hot seat, sparring with Democratic senators over abortion, guns, executive power and other high-profile issues.

A long day of questioning awaits the 53-year-old appellate judge, whom Trump nominated in July to fill the seat of retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. The change could make the court more conservative on a range of issues.

Barring a surprise, Republicans appear on track to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, perhaps in time for the new term on Oct. 1 and little more than a month before congressional elections.

However, the first of at least four days of hearings by the Senate Judiciary Committee began with partisan quarreling over the nomination and persistent protests from members of the audience, followed by their arrests.

Strong Democratic opposition to Trump's nominee reflects the political stakes for both parties in advance of the November elections, Robert Mueller's investigation of Trump's 2016 campaign and the potentially pivotal role Kavanaugh could play in moving the court to the right.

Democrats, including several senators poised for 2020 presidential bids, tried to block the proceedings in a dispute over Kavanaugh records withheld by the White House. Republicans in turn accused the Democrats of turning the hearing into a circus.

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

1. Various of Brett Kavanaugh Senate hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"This is President Trump's second nominee to the court. And what was just really remarkable today was the outpouring of opposition. No sooner than the chairman of the committee, Senator Chuck Grassley, he gaveled in the session and the session just completely erupted in chaos. There were Democratic senators calling for the session to be postponed. And there were protests coming from many people in the audience."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

3. Various of hearing, protesters

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"One of the main things at issue has been the process here. Democrats are really complaining about the lack of documents from Kavanaugh's past service in the Bush White House. They are concerned that a number of documents have not been turned over as part of the vetting process. Now Chuck Grassley, the chairman, says you know, hundreds of thousands of documents have been made available to the committee, and that's true. But these are being made available on an unusual basis where they're coming directly from the Bush archives and separate from the traditional archive process. And many of those documents are being held back on a confidential basis. Either the committee is holding them back, or in one case, we saw just a few days ago the Trump administration, the White House held back 100,000 documents. Democrats are crying foul and saying this is just no way to vet somebody who will be having a lifetime confirmation on the court."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"To ranking member Feinstein's request, which she tried to craft with you to be identical to the request for records from Justice Kagan. We should not be proceeding until we have the full documents that allow us to review the judge's records."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"Kavanaugh really showed, you know, why a lot of people like him. He was a very personable, optimistic-looking person. He talked about his belief in the independence of the judiciary. And he really tried to tell the senators that he would be an independent broker here."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

7. Wide, Kavanaugh at desk

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Brett Kavanaugh, Supreme Court nominee:

"A judge must be independent and must interpret the law, not make the law."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"The judge in the past has talked about his view that any investigation of a sitting president is disruptive to the executive branch and should wait until after the president is out of office. He has experience here, Judge Kavanaugh had served on the team, Kenneth Starr's team, that was investigating former President Bill Clinton. And at the end of that, he really had sort of some second thoughts about investigating a sitting president. That of course is important now because President Trump and his team are under a lot of scrutiny from Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the Russia probe. And so senators will be asking a lot of questions about the judge's views of executive power and whether he believes a sitting president can be investigated, can be forced to testify, or even if whether an indictment could be brought."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

10. Wide of hearing

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Dick Durbin, (D) Illinois:

"And it's that president who's decided you are his man. You're the person he wants on the Supreme Court, you are his personal choice. So are people nervous about this? Are they concerned about it? Of course they are."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"The Senate Republicans have the majority here and they are eager to have Judge Kavanaugh confirmed in time for the start of the new Supreme Court session which begins October 1st. So they're looking to have the Senate finish up its work in the next couple weeks here and then have a confirmation vote on the floor of the Senate possibly by the end of September."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

13. Mid, Kavanaugh at desk

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Brett Kavanaugh, Supreme Court nominee:

"If confirmed to the Supreme Court, I will keep an open mind in every case. I will do equal right to the poor and to the rich. I will always strive to preserve the Constitution of the United States and the American Rule of Law."

15. Wide of hearing

AP Reporter Lisa Mascaro says the first day of a Senate hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was filled with opposition and chaos.

"There were Democratic senators calling for the session to be postponed. And there were protests coming from many people in the audience," Mascaro, who was inside the courtroom, said.

Democrats raised objections from the moment Chairman Chuck Grassley gaveled the committee to order. One by one, Democrats, including Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, all potential presidential contenders, demanded that Republicans delay the hearing. They railed against the unusual vetting process by Republicans that failed to include documents from three years Kavanaugh worked in the Bush administration, and 100,000 more pages withheld by the Trump White House. Some 42,000 pages were released to senators only, not the public, on the evening before the hearing.

In his statement, Kavanaugh touted the importance of an independent judiciary as his confirmation hearings began with strident Democratic criticism that he would be President Donald Trump's man on the high court.

On Wednesday, Kavanaugh can expect to spend most of the day in the hot seat, sparring with Democratic senators over abortion, guns, executive power and other high-profile issues.

A long day of questioning awaits the 53-year-old appellate judge, whom Trump nominated in July to fill the seat of retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. The change could make the court more conservative on a range of issues.

Barring a surprise, Republicans appear on track to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, perhaps in time for the new term on Oct. 1 and little more than a month before congressional elections.

However, the first of at least four days of hearings by the Senate Judiciary Committee began with partisan quarreling over the nomination and persistent protests from members of the audience, followed by their arrests.

Strong Democratic opposition to Trump's nominee reflects the political stakes for both parties in advance of the November elections, Robert Mueller's investigation of Trump's 2016 campaign and the potentially pivotal role Kavanaugh could play in moving the court to the right.

Democrats, including several senators poised for 2020 presidential bids, tried to block the proceedings in a dispute over Kavanaugh records withheld by the White House. Republicans in turn accused the Democrats of turning the hearing into a circus.

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

1. Various of Brett Kavanaugh Senate hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"This is President Trump's second nominee to the court. And what was just really remarkable today was the outpouring of opposition. No sooner than the chairman of the committee, Senator Chuck Grassley, he gaveled in the session and the session just completely erupted in chaos. There were Democratic senators calling for the session to be postponed. And there were protests coming from many people in the audience."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

3. Various of hearing, protesters

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"One of the main things at issue has been the process here. Democrats are really complaining about the lack of documents from Kavanaugh's past service in the Bush White House. They are concerned that a number of documents have not been turned over as part of the vetting process. Now Chuck Grassley, the chairman, says you know, hundreds of thousands of documents have been made available to the committee, and that's true. But these are being made available on an unusual basis where they're coming directly from the Bush archives and separate from the traditional archive process. And many of those documents are being held back on a confidential basis. Either the committee is holding them back, or in one case, we saw just a few days ago the Trump administration, the White House held back 100,000 documents. Democrats are crying foul and saying this is just no way to vet somebody who will be having a lifetime confirmation on the court."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"To ranking member Feinstein's request, which she tried to craft with you to be identical to the request for records from Justice Kagan. We should not be proceeding until we have the full documents that allow us to review the judge's records."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"Kavanaugh really showed, you know, why a lot of people like him. He was a very personable, optimistic-looking person. He talked about his belief in the independence of the judiciary. And he really tried to tell the senators that he would be an independent broker here."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

7. Wide, Kavanaugh at desk

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Brett Kavanaugh, Supreme Court nominee:

"A judge must be independent and must interpret the law, not make the law."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"The judge in the past has talked about his view that any investigation of a sitting president is disruptive to the executive branch and should wait until after the president is out of office. He has experience here, Judge Kavanaugh had served on the team, Kenneth Starr's team, that was investigating former President Bill Clinton. And at the end of that, he really had sort of some second thoughts about investigating a sitting president. That of course is important now because President Trump and his team are under a lot of scrutiny from Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the Russia probe. And so senators will be asking a lot of questions about the judge's views of executive power and whether he believes a sitting president can be investigated, can be forced to testify, or even if whether an indictment could be brought."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

10. Wide of hearing

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Dick Durbin, (D) Illinois:

"And it's that president who's decided you are his man. You're the person he wants on the Supreme Court, you are his personal choice. So are people nervous about this? Are they concerned about it? Of course they are."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"The Senate Republicans have the majority here and they are eager to have Judge Kavanaugh confirmed in time for the start of the new Supreme Court session which begins October 1st. So they're looking to have the Senate finish up its work in the next couple weeks here and then have a confirmation vote on the floor of the Senate possibly by the end of September."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

13. Mid, Kavanaugh at desk

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Brett Kavanaugh, Supreme Court nominee:

"If confirmed to the Supreme Court, I will keep an open mind in every case. I will do equal right to the poor and to the rich. I will always strive to preserve the Constitution of the United States and the American Rule of Law."

15. Wide of hearing

AP Reporter Lisa Mascaro says the first day of a Senate hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was filled with opposition and chaos.

"There were Democratic senators calling for the session to be postponed. And there were protests coming from many people in the audience," Mascaro, who was inside the courtroom, said.

Democrats raised objections from the moment Chairman Chuck Grassley gaveled the committee to order. One by one, Democrats, including Kamala Harris of California, Cory Booker of New Jersey and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, all potential presidential contenders, demanded that Republicans delay the hearing. They railed against the unusual vetting process by Republicans that failed to include documents from three years Kavanaugh worked in the Bush administration, and 100,000 more pages withheld by the Trump White House. Some 42,000 pages were released to senators only, not the public, on the evening before the hearing.

In his statement, Kavanaugh touted the importance of an independent judiciary as his confirmation hearings began with strident Democratic criticism that he would be President Donald Trump's man on the high court.

On Wednesday, Kavanaugh can expect to spend most of the day in the hot seat, sparring with Democratic senators over abortion, guns, executive power and other high-profile issues.

A long day of questioning awaits the 53-year-old appellate judge, whom Trump nominated in July to fill the seat of retired Justice Anthony Kennedy. The change could make the court more conservative on a range of issues.

Barring a surprise, Republicans appear on track to confirm Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, perhaps in time for the new term on October 1 and little more than a month before congressional elections.

However, the first of at least four days of hearings by the Senate Judiciary Committee began with partisan quarreling over the nomination and persistent protests from members of the audience, followed by their arrests.

Strong Democratic opposition to Trump's nominee reflects the political stakes for both parties in advance of the November elections, Robert Mueller's investigation of Trump's 2016 campaign and the potentially pivotal role Kavanaugh could play in moving the court to the right.

Democrats, including several senators poised for 2020 presidential bids, tried to block the proceedings in a dispute over Kavanaugh records withheld by the White House. Republicans in turn accused the Democrats of turning the hearing into a circus.

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

1. Various of Brett Kavanaugh Senate hearing

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"This is President Trump's second nominee to the court. And what was just really remarkable today was the outpouring of opposition. No sooner than the chairman of the committee, Senator Chuck Grassley, he gaveled in the session and the session just completely erupted in chaos. There were Democratic senators calling for the session to be postponed. And there were protests coming from many people in the audience."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

3. Various of hearing, protesters

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"One of the main things at issue has been the process here. Democrats are really complaining about the lack of documents from Kavanaugh's past service in the Bush White House. They are concerned that a number of documents have not been turned over as part of the vetting process. Now Chuck Grassley, the chairman, says you know, hundreds of thousands of documents have been made available to the committee, and that's true. But these are being made available on an unusual basis where they're coming directly from the Bush archives and separate from the traditional archive process. And many of those documents are being held back on a confidential basis. Either the committee is holding them back, or in one case, we saw just a few days ago the Trump administration, the White House held back 100,000 documents. Democrats are crying foul and saying this is just no way to vet somebody who will be having a lifetime confirmation on the court."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"To ranking member Feinstein's request, which she tried to craft with you to be identical to the request for records from Justice Kagan. We should not be proceeding until we have the full documents that allow us to review the judge's records."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"Kavanaugh really showed, you know, why a lot of people like him. He was a very personable, optimistic-looking person. He talked about his belief in the independence of the judiciary. And he really tried to tell the senators that he would be an independent broker here."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

7. Wide, Kavanaugh at desk

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Brett Kavanaugh, Supreme Court nominee:

"A judge must be independent and must interpret the law, not make the law."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"The judge in the past has talked about his view that any investigation of a sitting president is disruptive to the executive branch and should wait until after the president is out of office. He has experience here, Judge Kavanaugh had served on the team, Kenneth Starr's team, that was investigating former President Bill Clinton. And at the end of that, he really had sort of some second thoughts about investigating a sitting president. That of course is important now because President Trump and his team are under a lot of scrutiny from Special Counsel Robert Mueller and the Russia probe. And so senators will be asking a lot of questions about the judge's views of executive power and whether he believes a sitting president can be investigated, can be forced to testify, or even if whether an indictment could be brought."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

10. Wide of hearing

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Dick Durbin, (D) Illinois:

"And it's that president who's decided you are his man. You're the person he wants on the Supreme Court, you are his personal choice. So are people nervous about this? Are they concerned about it? Of course they are."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

12. SOUNDBITE (English) Lisa Mascaro, Associated Press Reporter:

"The Senate Republicans have the majority here and they are eager to have Judge Kavanaugh confirmed in time for the start of the new Supreme Court session which begins October 1st. So they're looking to have the Senate finish up its work in the next couple of weeks here and then have a confirmation vote on the floor of the Senate possibly by the end of September."

POOL

Washington, DC - 4 September 2018

13. Mid, Kavanaugh at desk

14. SOUNDBITE (English) Brett Kavanaugh, Supreme Court nominee:

"If confirmed to the Supreme Court, I will keep an open mind in every case. I will do equal right to the poor and to the rich. I will always strive to preserve the Constitution of the United States and the American Rule of Law."

15. Wide of hearing

Senators are reacting to US President Donald Trump's assertion that he would be open to accepting a foreign power's help in his 2020 campaign.

"This is the President. He doesn't operate the way anyone else does," said Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklaoma.

"I know the words he used and how I can an answer is that the president, he has no intention of putting himself in a position with a foreign entity over the Untied States."

But Inhofe seem to be in the minority in saying the president wouldn't actually accept damaging information from a foreign entity about a political opponent.

Trump made the remarks in a television interview on Wednesday.

He also said he wouldn't necessarily report such an offer to the FBI, which the FBI director has said should be done.

Both Democratic Senators Mark Warner and Chris Coons called for legislative action to force a presidential candidate to report any contact to the FBI.

"What I'll be doing later today is asking all my colleagues for unanimous consent to bring up a piece of legislation, call the FIRE ACT," said Warner.

Coons added "we should take up and pass legislation and force him to either sign it or veto it."

"That makes it abundantly clear that any candidate for president who is contacted by a hostile power, offering dirt on their opponent, has an obligation to report that to the FBI and not use it to undermine our democracy."

Senator Mitt Romney said he's run for office several times and has never been contacted by a foreign entity and if he was he "would have contacted the FBI immediately."

"We ought to make sure it is illegal," said Romney.

"Simply allowing foreign governments to try and involve themselves in our elections is something we cannot allow and would be very much contrary to the spirit of democracy."

Washington DC - 13 June 2019

++VIDEO AND AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Jim Inhofe, (R) Oklahoma:

"This is the president. He doesn't operate the way anyone else does, and his idiosyncrasies have served him pretty well, I think in fact when he takes time to read and simply read conspiring with the enemy and all of that. That's the media's spin. I know what he said, I know the words he used and how I can an answer is that the president, he has no intention of putting himself in a position with a foreign entity over the Untied States."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mark Warner, (D) Virginia:

"Then we had Mueller investigation, the Intelligence community assessment, my Intelligence Committee's bipartisan investigation, it all confirmed that Russia massively interfered in our elections to the extent that they tried to help Donald Trump and really hurt Hillary Clinton. Now a few years later, the fact that he's president still doesn't get it, that that was wrong, that was inappropriate, is astounding. This man has so little moral compass that he doesn't understand that taking help from any foreign government during a political campaign is an assault on our democracy."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mark Warner, (D) Virginia:

"What I'll be doing later today is asking all my colleagues for unanimous consent to bring up a piece of legislation, call the FIRE ACT, which I filed a few weeks ago. that would say after we litigate 2016, for 2020 and going forward if any presidential campaign is contacted by an agent of a foreign government, they have an affirmative obligation to report back to the FBI."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitt Romney, (R) Utah:

"In circumstances where a foreign government attempts to be involved in an American election, that would be simply unthinkable for a candidate for president to accept that involvement, to encourage it, to participate with it in any way shape or form. It would strike at the very heart of our democracy."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitt Romney, (R) Utah:

"I ran for president twice. I ran for governor once, I ran for Senate twice. I've never had any attempt made by a foreign government to contact me or a member of my staff and had that occurred, I would have contacted the FBI immediately."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitt Romney, (R) Utah:

"Well a foreign entity, entities exert a comprehensive effort to try and involve themselves in an American election and provide information and data and work product to a contender for office, why that would violate our laws. That's probably illegal already, if it's not, we ought to make sure it is illegal. But but simply allowing foreign governments to try and involve themselves in our elections is something we cannot allow and would be very much contrary to the spirit of democracy."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"If this were anyone other than President Trump, the idea that a president of our nation would publicly suggest that he would welcome and accept dirt on a political opponent from a hostile power, would be shocking. That President Trump has chosen to say that in an interview on the record, after the Mueller Report, after all the allegations about his campaign's potential collusion with Russia, it is shocking. I thought I was done being shocked at anything President Trump could or would say. He's once again outperformed."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"But let's be, let's be clear, candidates do not all the time welcome and accept help from hostile powers and to suggest that they do, both flies in the face of the testimony of his FBI director and Attorney General and common sense and national security. Yes, we should take up and pass legislation and force him to either sign it or veto it, that makes it abundantly clear that any candidate for president who is contacted by a hostile power, offering dirt on their opponent, has an obligation to report that to the FBI and not use it to undermine our democracy."

Members of Congress remain divided along party lines when it comes to the next step in releasing the report of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

This comes as Attorney General William Barr is defending his handling of Mueller's report.

Barr says the document contained sensitive grand jury material that prevented it from being immediately released to the public.

Barr is confronting concerns that his four-page letter summarizing Mueller's conclusions unduly sanitized the full report in President Donald Trump's favor, including on the key question of whether the president obstructed justice.

"Well that is additional additional reason to say release the report, so we can see it," sai Rep. Jerry Nadler, Democrat from New York.

"It also tells me that some dissatisfaction over how accurately Barr represented, but then again the answer is let's see it. Period."

But Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican from South Carolina says he doesn't think Barr is 'stupid' and would not make an inaccurate summary of the report.

"Why would he give a summary that doesn't accurately reflect the conclusions. And I don't know who these anonymous people are but come forward if you got a concern say so, call me,"

Also on Capitol Hill, former Vice President Joe Biden is getting support from his party members following several women coming forward to complain about his behavior.

This comes also President Donald Trump tweeted out a doctored video Thursday, with images of Biden pop up alongside the vice president, touching and nuzzling him. Trump added the caption: "WELCOME BACK JOE!"

"I think the contrast with a president who tends to be someone whose language and style is more out of a middle school bully, than a national civic leader," said Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware.

"I think that will be a sharp and clear contrast. I hope the American people will see that it's in our best interest to move on from a culture of bullying."

Washington DC - 4 April 2019

1. Rep.Jerry Nadler walking outside the Capitol

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, (D) New York:

"Well that just gives us additional--that just gives us additional reason to say release the report, so we can see it. It also tells me that some dissatisfaction over how accurately Barr represented the report, but then again the answer is let's see it. Period."

3. Nadler walks away

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"(Reporter off camera....No concern at all that Barr summary may be an accurate reflection?) Zero. He's not stupid. Why would he do that? He's dedicated his whole life to the law. Why would he give a summary that doesn't accurately reflect the conclusions? And I don't know who these anonymous people are but come forward if you got a concern say so, call me. (Reporter off camera: How do you feel about Mueller coming in to testify?) I want Barr to come in, that's enough for me."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Jeff Merkley, (D) Oregon:

"Well I think it says a lot about the President of the United States that he's locked into the mentality of a child. It's like he's in kindergarten, mocking others. We've seen that style throughout. That's another reason we should all recognize that he's not qualified to be in this office and he'll discover that in 2020 election."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"I think when Americans hear from Joe Biden what they hear is heart, integrity and seriousness and concern about our country and concerned about our future. What I think they hear when they see President Trump going on Twitter and attacking people, making up nicknames for everyone, going after their families, is someone who just doesn't reflect the best in the American spirit."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"What I hope Democratic candidates for the presidency will show, what I am confident Democratic candidates for the presidency will show is seriousness on policy, thoughtfulness about the real challenges facing American families in America in terms of our security. I think the contrast with a president who tends to be someone whose language and style is more out of a middle school bully, than a national civic leader. I think that will be a sharp and clear contrast. I hope the American people will see that it's in our best interest to move on from a culture of bullying."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Sherrod Brown, (D) Ohio:

"The people he's betrayed and in Lordstown Ohio. He has so much to apologize for and I've never heard this president apologize to anybody for anything."

Arriving at a Senate hearing where US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would comment on the happenings of US President Donald Trump's recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Senators seemed unsure about the idea of a second summit with the leader.

The Trump administration sought to fend off accusations the president is too soft on Russia on Wednesday, putting off a proposed second summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and declaring the U.S. will never recognize Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) says inviting Putin to Washington was a bad idea in the first place.

"Until it is clear that President Putin of Russia understands that his attack on our election is intolerable," said Coons.

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) was strongly against President Trump's private meeting with Putin in Helsinki, and was glad that this next one would be delayed.

"I'm not opposed to president's meeting. That's fine. But private meetings like this just, it's not turning out well," said Flake.

National security adviser John Bolton cited special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election as the reason for the delay, although many members of Congress had objected to the meeting and said Putin would not be welcome on Capitol Hill.

"The President believes that the next bilateral meeting with President Putin should take place after the Russia witch hunt is over, so we've agreed that it will be after the first of the year," Bolton said in a statement, using Trump's favored but highly controversial term for the Mueller probe.

Washington DC - 25 July 2018

1. UPSOUND (English) Officials walk down hallway

Reporter: "Senator, what's your reaction to the delay of this Putin meeting?"

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.): "I think it's great."

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

Reporter: "Can you tell us anything about what Secretary of State Pompeo has revealed about the Trump Putin summit in Helsinki?"

Coons: "Very little. In, I think, an important and positive opening statement, Secretary Pompeo shared that a President Trump has issued a declaration that the United States, as a matter of policy, will not recognize the annexation of Crimea and will hold Russia accountable for withdrawing from eastern Ukraine and restoring and respecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine. That was a very positive statement. Senator Menendez of New Jersey pressed Secretary Pompeo very hard on exactly what was said in the Helsinki summit. Secretary Pompeo aggressively defended the right of the president to have private meetings and was really not very forthcoming about exactly what was said."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

Reporter: "Senator what do you think of the White House's decision to delay the upcoming meeting with Putin?"

Coons: "I don't think it was appropriate to invite President Putin to a meeting at the White House in the first place. Until it is clear that President Putin of Russia understands that his attack on our election is intolerable and that his continued actions to uphold and defend the murderous regime of Bashar al-Assad and his action in invading and occupying Crimea. Until President Putin understands and takes clear action that shows that he is withdrawing from or backing away from or changing those positions, I don't think there should be a meeting in the United States in particular in our nation's capital. Thank you all very very much."

4. Mid, Sen. Jeff Flake exits room

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Jeff Flake (R) Arizona:

Reporter: "..The fact that he is not commenting or giving many details about the one-on-one meeting Trump had."

Flake: "There's not much he's saying. We wish we had more of a read out. The Russians are characterizing certain things, talking about fabulous agreements and concessions or whatever else and we have no idea. That's the problem of having a private meeting like this."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Jeff Flake (R) Arizona:

Flake: "Well, that's that's the problem with having a private meeting like this. Particularly when they seem to have been far better prepared. So I'm glad they put off the next meeting, I hope I don't I'm not opposed to president's meeting. That's fine. But private meetings like this just, it's not turning out well."

Reporter: "Sir, John Bolton says that we're not going to be having another Russian summit until after..."

Flake: "Hopefully that gives us more time to prepare and hopefully for more people to talk about how detrimental it is to have a private meeting like this allowing the Russians to characterize it when we aren't prepared to do so. And so I hope that if we've learned anything we learned not to do that again."

++EDIT ENDS IN A SOUNDBITE++

members of Congress remain divided along party lines when it comes to the next step in releasing the report of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

This comes as Attorney General William Barr is defending his handling of Mueller's report.

Barr says the document contained sensitive grand jury material that prevented it from being immediately released to the public.

Barr is confronting concerns that his four-page letter summarizing Mueller's conclusions unduly sanitized the full report in President Donald Trump's favor, including on the key question of whether the president obstructed justice.

"Well that is additional additional reason to say release the report, so we can see it," sai Rep. Jerry Nadler, Democrat from New York.

"It also tells me that some dissatisfaction over how accurately Barr represented, but then again the answer is let's see it. Period."

But Senator Lindsey Graham, Republican from South Carolina says he doesn't think Barr is 'stupid' and would not make an inaccurate summary of the report.

"Why would he give a summary that doesn't accurately reflect the conclusions. And I don't know who these anonymous people are but come forward if you got a concern say so, call me,"

Also on Capitol Hill, former Vice President Joe Biden is getting support from his party members following several women coming forward to complain about his behavior.

This comes also President Donald Trump tweeted out a doctored video Thursday, with images of Biden pop up alongside the vice president, touching and nuzzling him. Trump added the caption: "WELCOME BACK JOE!"

"I think the contrast with a president who tends to be someone whose language and style is more out of a middle school bully, than a national civic leader," said Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware.

"I think that will be a sharp and clear contrast. I hope the American people will see that it's in our best interest to move on from a culture of bullying."

Washington DC - 4 April 2019

1. Rep.Jerry Nadler walking outside the Capitol

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Rep. Jerry Nadler, (D) New York:

"Well that just gives us additional--that just gives us additional reason to say release the report, so we can see it. It also tells me that some dissatisfaction over how accurately Barr represented the report, but then again the answer is let's see it. Period."

3. Nadler walks away

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"(Reporter off camera....No concern at all that Barr summary may be an accurate reflection?) Zero. He's not stupid. Why would he do that? He's dedicated his whole life to the law. Why would he give a summary that doesn't accurately reflect the conclusions? And I don't know who these anonymous people are but come forward if you got a concern say so, call me. (Reporter off camera: How do you feel about Mueller coming in to testify?) I want Barr to come in, that's enough for me."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Jeff Merkley, (D) Oregon:

"Well I think it says a lot about the President of the United States that he's locked into the mentality of a child. It's like he's in kindergarten, mocking others. We've seen that style throughout. That's another reason we should all recognize that he's not qualified to be in this office and he'll discover that in 2020 election."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"I think when Americans hear from Joe Biden what they hear is heart, integrity and seriousness and concern about our country and concerned about our future. What I think they hear when they see President Trump going on Twitter and attacking people, making up nicknames for everyone, going after their families, is someone who just doesn't reflect the best in the American spirit."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"What I hope Democratic candidates for the presidency will show, what I am confident Democratic candidates for the presidency will show is seriousness on policy, thoughtfulness about the real challenges facing American families in America in terms of our security. I think the contrast with a president who tends to be someone whose language and style is more out of a middle school bully, than a national civic leader. I think that will be a sharp and clear contrast. I hope the American people will see that it's in our best interest to move on from a culture of bullying."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Sherrod Brown, (D) Ohio:

"The people he's betrayed and in Lordstown Ohio. He has so much to apologize for and I've never heard this president apologize to anybody for anything."

Senators are reacting to President Donald Trump's assertion that he would be open to accepting a foreign power's help in his 2020 campaign.

"This is the President. He doesn't operate the way anyone else does," said Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe of Okaloma.

"I know the words he used and how I can an answer is that the president, he has no intention of putting himself in a position with a foreign entity over the Untied States."

But Inhofe seem to be in the minority in saying the president wouldn't actually accept damaging information from a foreign entity about a political opponent.

Trump made the remarks in a television interview Wednesday. He also said he wouldn't necessarily report such an offer to the FBI, which the FBI director has said should be done.

Both Democratic Senators Mark Warner and Chris Coons called for legislative action to force a presidential candidate to report any contact to the FBI.

"What I'll be doing later today is asking all my colleagues for unanimous consent to bring up a piece of legislation, call the FIRE ACT," said Warner.

Coons added "we should take up and pass legislation and force him to either sign it or veto it."

"That makes it abundantly clear that any candidate for president who is contacted by a hostile power, offering dirt on their opponent, has an obligation to report that to the FBI and not use it to undermine our democracy."

Senator Mitt Romney said he's run for office several times and has never been contacted by a foreign entity and if he was he "would have contacted the FBI immediately."

"We ought to make sure it is illegal," said Romney.

"Simply allowing foreign governments to try and involve themselves in our elections is something we cannot allow and would be very much contrary to the spirit of democracy."

Washington DC - 13 June 2019

++VIDEO AND AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Jim Inhofe, (R) Oklahoma:

"This is the president. He doesn't operate the way anyone else does, and his idiosyncrasies have served him pretty well, I think in fact when he takes time to read and simply read conspiring with the enemy and all of that. That's the media's spin. I know what he said, I know the words he used and how I can an answer is that the president, he has no intention of putting himself in a position with a foreign entity over the Untied States."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mark Warner, (D) Virginia:

"Then we had Mueller investigation, the Intelligence community assessment, my Intelligence Committee's bipartisan investigation, it all confirmed that Russia massively interfered in our elections to the extent that they tried to help Donald Trump and really hurt Hillary Clinton. Now a few years later, the fact that he's president still doesn't get it, that that was wrong, that was inappropriate, is astounding. This man has so little moral compass that he doesn't understand that taking help from any foreign government during a political campaign is an assault on our democracy."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mark Warner, (D) Virginia:

"What I'll be doing later today is asking all my colleagues for unanimous consent to bring up a piece of legislation, call the FIRE ACT, which I filed a few weeks ago. that would say after we litigate 2016, for 2020 and going forward if any presidential campaign is contacted by an agent of a foreign government, they have an affirmative obligation to report back to the FBI."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitt Romney, (R) Utah:

"In circumstances where a foreign government attempts to be involved in an American election, that would be simply unthinkable for a candidate for president to accept that involvement, to encourage it, to participate with it in any way shape or form. It would strike at the very heart of our democracy."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitt Romney, (R) Utah:

"I ran for president twice. I ran for governor once, I ran for Senate twice. I've never had any attempt made by a foreign government to contact me or a member of my staff and had that occurred. I would have contacted the FBI immediately."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitt Romney, (R) Utah:

"Well a foreign entity, entities exert a comprehensive effort to try and involve themselves in an American election and provide information and data and at work product to a contender for office, why that would violate our laws. That's probably illegal already, if it's not, we ought to make sure it is illegal. But but simply allowing foreign governments to try and involve themselves in our elections is something we cannot allow and would be very much contrary to the spirit of democracy."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"If this were anyone other than President Trump, the idea that a president of our nation would publicly suggest that he would welcome and accept a dirt on a political opponent from a hostile power, would be shocking. That President Trump has chosen to say that in an interview on the record after the Mueller Report, after all the allegations about his campaign's potential collusion with Russia. It is shocking. I thought I was done being shocked at anything President Trump could or would say. He's once again outperformed."

++SEPARATED BY BLACK++

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"But let's be, let's be clear, candidates do not all the time welcome and accept help from hostile powers and to suggest that they do, both flies in the face of the testimony of his FBI director and Attorney General and common sense and national security. Yes, we should take up and pass legislation and force him to either sign it or veto it, that makes it abundantly clear that any candidate for president who is contacted by a hostile power, offering dirt on their opponent, has an obligation to report that to the FBI and not use it to undermine our democracy."

Arriving at a Senate hearing where Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would comment on the happenings of President Donald Trump's recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Senators seemed unsure about the idea of a second summit with the leader.

The Trump administration sought to fend off accusations the president is too soft on Russia on Wednesday, putting off a proposed second summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and declaring the U.S. will never recognize Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) says inviting Putin to Washington was a bad idea in the first place.

"Until it is clear that President Putin of Russia understands that his attack on our election is intolerable," said Coons.

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) was strongly against President Trump's private meeting with Putin in Helsinki, and was glad that this next one would be delayed.

"I'm not opposed to president's meeting. That's fine. But private meetings like this just, it's not turning out well," said Flake.

National security adviser John Bolton cited special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election as the reason for the delay, although many members of Congress had objected to the meeting and said Putin would not be welcome on Capitol Hill.

"The President believes that the next bilateral meeting with President Putin should take place after the Russia witch hunt is over, so we've agreed that it will be after the first of the year," Bolton said in a statement, using Trump's favored but highly controversial term for the Mueller probe.

Washington, DC - 25 July 2018

1. UPSOUND (English) Officials walk down hallway

Reporter: "Senator, what's your reaction to the delay of this Putin meeting?"

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.): "I think it's great."

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

Reporter: "Can you tell us anything about what Secretary of State Pompeo has revealed about the Trump Putin summit in Helsinki?"

Coons: "Very little. In, I think, an important and positive opening statement, Secretary Pompeo shared that a President Trump has issued a declaration that the United States, as a matter of policy, will not recognize the annexation of Crimea and will hold Russia accountable for withdrawing from eastern Ukraine and restoring and respecting the territorial integrity of Ukraine. That was a very positive statement. Senator Menendez of New Jersey pressed Secretary Pompeo very hard on exactly what was said in the Helsinki summit. Secretary Pompeo aggressively defended the right of the president to have private meetings and was really not very forthcoming about exactly what was said."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

Reporter: "Senator what do you think of the White House's decision to delay the upcoming meeting with Putin?"

Coons: "I don't think it was appropriate to invite President Putin to a meeting at the White House in the first place. Until it is clear that President Putin of Russia understands that his attack on our election is intolerable and that his continued actions to uphold and defend the murderous regime of Bashar al-Assad and his action in invading and occupying Crimea. Until President Putin understands and takes clear action that shows that he is withdrawing from or backing away from or changing those positions, I don't think there should be a meeting in the United States in particular in our nation's capital. Thank you all very very much."

4. Mid, Sen. Jeff Flake exits room

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Jeff Flake (R) Arizona:

Reporter: "..The fact that he is not commenting or giving many details about the one-on-one meeting Trump had."

Flake: "There's not much he's saying. We wish we had more of a read out. The Russians are characterizing certain things, talking about fabulous agreements and concessions or whatever else and we have no idea. That's the problem of having a private meeting like this."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Jeff Flake (R) Arizona:

Flake: "Well, that's that's the problem with having a private meeting like this. Particularly when they seem to have been far better prepared. So I'm glad they put off the next meeting, I hope I don't I'm not opposed to president's meeting. That's fine. But private meetings like this just, it's not turning out well."

Reporter: "Sir, John Bolton says that we're not going to be having another Russian summit until after..."

Flake: "Hopefully that gives us more time to prepare and hopefully for more people to talk about how detrimental it is to have a private meeting like this allowing the Russians to characterize it when we aren't prepared to do so. And so I hope that if we've learned anything we learned not to do that again."

++EDIT ENDS IN A SOUNDBITE++

Congressional members are reacting to the announcement of two articles of impeachment Tuesday against President Donald Trump.

Democrats say he “betrayed the nation” in his actions toward Ukraine as they pushed toward historic proceedings that are certain to help define his presidency and shape the 2020 election.

Yet the House Minority Leader says Democrats are worried because impeaching the president is unpopular with Americans. The House Democrats announcement came the same day as the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also announced she announced a deal on a modified North American trade pact.

"If you need any more evidence of how unpopular impeachment is, watch the two press conferences today. After announcing impeachment within less than an hour, the Speaker finally relented and said she would bring USMCA up. She has held it for more than a year," said McCarthy.

Sen. Graham, who serves as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committe, said that "the abuse of power is by House Democrats not the President of the United States."

He also responded to questions about Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to the US, saying he hopes the White House will call Russia out on its aggressive actions, especially in Syria.

Washington - 12 Demcember 2019

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

1. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader:

"They (Democrats) have a lot of members on their side very concerned, because from the moment they started impeachment and letting the American people see what they believed and keep changing the term of what they thought was out there, it has been falling in the polls. If you need any more evidence of how unpopular impeachment is, watch the two press conferences today. After announcing impeachment within less than an hour, the Speaker finally relented and said she would bring USMCA up. She has held it for more than a year, making America weaker in our negotiations with China, our number one and number two trader, Mexico and Canada."

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"The abuse of power is by House Democrats, not the President of the United States. They've abused their power to investigate. They created behind closed doors hearings in the Intel committee. They denied the President's counsel a right to participate. The denied Republicans the right call witnesses regarding all things Ukraine. I think the whole thing is a sham. I think it denies the president basic due process. I think it's a threat to the presidency itself. You couldn't get a parking ticket under this, the procedures they're using, and almost all of its hearsay."

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina: (referring to actions in Syria)

"Bottom line is, it's okay to talk with the Russians. But when you talk with the Russians, you better tell them the truth about who they are and what they're doing. They're one of the most destructive forces on the planet right now and we need to call them out."

4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"I think there was abundant evidence in the Mueller report of misdeeds by President Trump and members of his campaign team and his administration. Obviously, that investigation ultimately produced 37 indictments, guilty pleas and convictions so it wasn't without substance as some are arguing but I think they made a calculation in the House that the evidence that had been presented recently with regards to Trump's actions involving Ukraine were concise, clear and accessible and rather than charging a broad range of misconduct over many years. They stuck to one topic."  

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. John Kennedy, (R) Louisiana: (responding to reporter asking for his reaction to House Democrats announcing articles of impeachment)

"Have you seen Star Wars? This whole thing reminds me of the cantina bar scene in Star Wars. It's surreal."

6. Kennedy walking down Capitol hallway

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST:

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Washington - 12 Demcember 2019

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

1. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader:

"They (Democrats) have a lot of members on their side very concerned, because from the moment they started impeachment and letting the American people see what they believed and keep changing the term of what they thought was out there, it has been falling in the polls. If you need any more evidence of how unpopular impeachment is, watch the two press conferences today. After announcing impeachment within less than an hour, the Speaker finally relented and said she would bring USMCA up. She has held it for more than a year, making America weaker in our negotiations with China, our number one and number two trader, Mexico and Canada."

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina:

"The abuse of power is by House Democrats, not the President of the United States. They've abused their power to investigate. They created behind closed doors hearings in the Intel committee. They denied the President's counsel a right to participate. The denied Republicans the right call witnesses regarding all things Ukraine. I think the whole thing is a sham. I think it denies the president basic due process. I think it's a threat to the presidency itself. You couldn't get a parking ticket under this, the procedures they're using, and almost all of its hearsay."

3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) South Carolina: (referring to actions in Syria)

"Bottom line is, it's okay to talk with the Russians. But when you talk with the Russians, you better tell them the truth about who they are and what they're doing. They're one of the most destructive forces on the planet right now and we need to call them out."

4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"I think there was abundant evidence in the Mueller report of misdeeds by President Trump and members of his campaign team and his administration. Obviously, that investigation ultimately produced 37 indictments, guilty pleas and convictions so it wasn't without substance as some are arguing but I think they made a calculation in the House that the evidence that had been presented recently with regards to Trump's actions involving Ukraine were concise, clear and accessible and rather than charging a broad range of misconduct over many years. They stuck to one topic."  

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. John Kennedy, (R) Louisiana: (responding to reporter asking for his reaction to House Democrats announcing articles of impeachment)

"Have you seen Star Wars? This whole thing reminds me of the cantina bar scene in Star Wars. It's surreal."

6. Kennedy walking down Capitol hallway

STORYLINE:

Congressional members are reacting to the announcement of two articles of impeachment Tuesday against President Donald Trump.

Democrats say he “betrayed the nation” in his actions toward Ukraine as they pushed toward historic proceedings that are certain to help define his presidency and shape the 2020 election.

Yet the House Minority Leader says Democrats are worried because impeaching the president is unpopular with Americans. The House Democrats announcement came the same day as the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi also announced she announced a deal on a modified North American trade pact.

"If you need any more evidence of how unpopular impeachment is, watch the two press conferences today. After announcing impeachment within less than an hour, the Speaker finally relented and said she would bring USMCA up. She has held it for more than a year," said McCarthy.

Sen. Graham, who serves as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committe, said that "the abuse of power is by House Democrats not the President of the United States."

He also responded to questions about Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's visit to the US, saying he hopes the White House will call Russia out on its aggressive actions, especially in Syria.

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Following a hearing with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday, many Senators seemed dissatisfied with the tech mogul's testimony.

Zuckerberg disclosed Tuesday his company is "working with" special counsel Robert Mueller in the federal probe of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential campaign — and working hard to change its own operations after the harvesting of users' private information by a Trump campaign-affiliated data-mining company.

"We have to continue to press Facebook, continue to press Mr. Zuckerberg," said Sen. Ed Markie, D-Mass., after the hearing.

The founder of the social media giant publicly apologized for his company's errors in failing to better protect the personal information of its millions of users, a controversy that has brought a flood of bad publicity and sent the company's stock value plunging.

"I'm not yet satisfied that we've got an accounting for why Facebook took so long to be fully transparent with the public about what happened with Cambridge Analytica," said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware.

Coons also criticized President Donald Trump for tweets he made Tuesday accusing Special Counsel Robert Mueller of violating attorney-client privilege.

"My concern is that as this investigation gets closer and closer to him or his family or his attorney, he is more likely to take some abrupt and unwise action," he said.

Washington - April 10, 2018

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Ed Markey, (D) Massachusetts

"In my opinion, we have to continue to press Facebook continue to press Mr. Zuckerberg. It should be the parents of America not Facebook who determine whether or not children's information is resold to third parties. That should be a fundamental privacy bill of rights for young people in our country. I think that's why most Americans are watching. They want to know the answer to these questions. Everything that happened in Cambridge Analytica is something that then raises questions in American families about what protections they have, what protections their children have."

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Bill Nelson (D) Florida

"But my personal information -- I don't want the Russians to have it, I don't want commercial users to have it. My personally identifiable private information ought to be private to me."

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware

"I'm not yet satisfied that we've got an accounting for why Facebook took so long to be fully transparent with the public about what happened with Cambridge Analytica."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware

"I think this will be the first of several important hearings that will allow the American people to better understand the ways in which their personal data has been monetized, and in some cases misused by important social media platforms like Facebook and others. While I was encouraged by the positive statements made by Mr. Zuckerberg at the beginning of the hearing, in my questioning I try to point out to him that there have been many cases where profits seem to be put ahead of privacy."

Senators remain split on news reports that the Intelligence Committee has subpoened Donald Trump Junior.

The Associated Press and other news outlets reported the panel is calling in President Donald Trump's son to answer questions about his 2017 testimony to the panel as part of its probe into Russian election interference.

The special counsel's report on Russia and the 2016 election notes some contradictions in what Trump Jr. told the Senate committee and what some witnesses told special counsel investigators.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters it was, at some point, not about finding facts.

"This smacks of politics and I think we have an important job to do to try to keep the intelligence committee out of politics," he said.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware) countered, "my hunch is that details now public through the Mueller report make it clear he wasn't truthful."

Washington - 9 May 2019

1. Wide of Sen. Cornyn with a reporter

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. John Cornyn, (R) Texas:

"My understanding is Mr. Trump Junior has cooperated extensively with the committee. I can understand his frustration at being asked to come back after having cooperated for such a long period of time and seeing now that this -- the Mueller report has concluded. For wondering what the purpose of this is. I'm going to talk to the chairman and the committee members about what we need to do to wrap up our investigations at some point. This is not about finding out facts. This smacks of politics and I think we have one important job to do to try to keep the Intelligence Committee out of politics and just keep ourselves focused on our mission which is oversight of the intelligence community and finding out what went wrong and how we can stop it in the future."

++BLACK FRAMES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Ron Wyden, (D) Oregon:

"My concern is that there is troubling evidence that suggests that Donald Trump Junior, and this is a public, troubling public evidence that he hasn't been truthful about the family's involvement with business in Russia, particularly, Moscow tower. Michael Cohen testified that he had briefed Donald Trump Junior something like 10 times on all of this. And Donald Trump Junior publicly denied any knowledge of this."

++BLACK FRAMES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, (D) Connecticut :

"I've said repeatedly that his answers to questions, and I watched him, were smart aleckly, untruthful and misleading. So I want to hear about what the truth is as to what he said to his father about the meeting in Trump Tower with Russian agents. Why he said he was only peripherally aware the negotiations on the Moscow negotiations when in fact he was in the thick of it.  He truly misled the judiciary committee and now he needs to be held accountable to those answers about the Moscow Trump Tower meeting - meeting with Russian agents and other negotiations really need to be answered.

(Reporter) "What happens if he doesn't comply?

(Blumenthal) He ought to be held in contempt and there is no question with Donald Trump Junior about any sort of privilege to avoid this kind of questioning. If he fails to answer, he ought to be put in jail. If he fails to comply with a lawful subpoena, he has no privilege. Prison is the only answer."

++BLACK FRAMES++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, (D) Connecticut:

"The message of this subpoena is there are still glimmers of bipartisan respect for the rule of law. President Trump has done everything possible to demonstrate ais degrading disrespect for the Constitution of United States. This effort by the Senate Intelligence Committee to preserve the rule of law gives a real glimmer of hope in an otherwise autocratic and imperial presidency."

++BLACK FRAMES++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware :

"I think it's a striking development that the Senate Intelligence Committee on a bipartisan basis has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump Junior. He testified both in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee. And my hunch is that details now public through the Mueller report make it clear he wasn't truthful. That's ultimately going to be up to the Senate Intelligence Committee to determine. But I think this is one of many reminders that this is not case closed."

Senators remain split on news reports that the Intelligence Committee has subpoened Donald Trump Junior.

The Associated Press and other news outlets reported the panel is calling in President Donald Trump's son to answer questions about his 2017 testimony to the panel as part of its probe into Russian election interference.

The special counsel's report on Russia and the 2016 election notes some contradictions in what Trump Jr. told the Senate committee and what some witnesses told special counsel investigators.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told reporters it was, at some point, not about finding facts.

"This smacks of politics and I think we have an important job to do to try to keep the intelligence committee out of politics," he said.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Delaware) countered, "my hunch is that details now public through the Mueller report make it clear he wasn't truthful."

Washington - 9 May 2019

1. Wide of Sen. Cornyn with a reporter

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. John Cornyn, (R) Texas:

"My understanding is Mr. Trump Junior has cooperated extensively with the committee. I can understand his frustration at being asked to come back after having cooperated for such a long period of time and seeing now that this -- the Mueller report has concluded. For wondering what the purpose of this is. I'm going to talk to the chairman and the committee members about what we need to do to wrap up our investigations at some point. This is not about finding out facts. This smacks of politics and I think we have one important job to do to try to keep the Intelligence Committee out of politics and just keep ourselves focused on our mission which is oversight of the intelligence community and finding out what went wrong and how we can stop it in the future."

++BLACK FRAMES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Ron Wyden, (D) Oregon:

"My concern is that there is troubling evidence that suggests that Donald Trump Junior, and this is a public, troubling public evidence that he hasn't been truthful about the family's involvement with business in Russia, particularly, Moscow tower. Michael Cohen testified that he had briefed Donald Trump Junior something like 10 times on all of this. And Donald Trump Junior publicly denied any knowledge of this."

++BLACK FRAMES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, (D) Connecticut :

"I've said repeatedly that his answers to questions, and I watched him, were smart aleckly, untruthful and misleading. So I want to hear about what the truth is as to what he said to his father about the meeting in Trump Tower with Russian agents. Why he said he was only peripherally aware the negotiations on the Moscow negotiations when in fact he was in the thick of it.  He truly misled the judiciary committee and now he needs to be held accountable to those answers about the Moscow Trump Tower meeting - meeting with Russian agents and other negotiations really need to be answered.

(Reporter) "What happens if he doesn't comply?

(Blumenthal) He ought to be held in contempt and there is no question with Donald Trump Junior about any sort of privilege to avoid this kind of questioning. If he fails to answer, he ought to be put in jail. If he fails to comply with a lawful subpoena, he has no privilege. Prison is the only answer."

++BLACK FRAMES++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Richard Blumenthal, (D) Connecticut:

"The message of this subpoena is there are still glimmers of bipartisan respect for the rule of law. President Trump has done everything possible to demonstrate ais degrading disrespect for the Constitution of United States. This effort by the Senate Intelligence Committee to preserve the rule of law gives a real glimmer of hope in an otherwise autocratic and imperial presidency."

++BLACK FRAMES++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware :

"I think it's a striking development that the Senate Intelligence Committee on a bipartisan basis has issued a subpoena to Donald Trump Junior. He testified both in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee. And my hunch is that details now public through the Mueller report make it clear he wasn't truthful. That's ultimately going to be up to the Senate Intelligence Committee to determine. But I think this is one of many reminders that this is not case closed."

US Senators began debating the merits of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh on Tuesday

A day after Trump announced his choice, Democrats expressed concerns that Kavanaugh has previously stated that a sitting president should not be subpoenaed or investigated.

"I am concerned about his views of executive power and I'm concerned that he may well be the deciding vote on issues around the ongoing Mueller investigation," Senate Democrat Chris Coons said.

Yet Republicans are urging their Democratic colleagues to "give him a chance." Senator John Kennedy said he's disappointed some Democrats have "dismissed Judge Kavanaugh out of hand."

The Democrats have turned their attention to pressuring two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, to oppose any nominee who threatens the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. The two have supported access to abortion services.

Murkowski said Tuesday she would be asking for a meeting with Kavanaugh, adding that she looked forward to rolling up her sleeves and getting to work.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 10 July 2018

++EDIT STARTS AND ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

++SOTS SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

1. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Lisa Murkowski, (R) Alaska:

"I had not really dug into Judge Cavanagh's record, was going to wait until the president made clear who his pick was going to be. And so now that I know, I've got my team doing the digging and we'll be jumping into it along with the rest of the country."

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Lisa Murkowski, (R) Alaska:  

"I'm going to be asking for my own sit down with him. I've never met him so I'm anxious to meet him and to be able to visit with him one-on-one. So there's some work that we all have in front of us and I'm looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work."

POOL

Washington - 10 July 2018

3. Democratic Senators walk to podium

4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader:

"Not only did Mr. Kavanaugh say that a president should not be subpoenaed. He said a president shouldn't be investigated. Mr. Kavanaugh, is the president above the law? And he went even further and made the incredulous statement that if the president deemed a law to be unconstitutional, he shouldn't follow it. That would be bad if anyone were president. But with Donald Trump who has shown so little respect for rule of law, for balance of power, for dispersion of power this is extremely dangerous."

5. Various of senators speaking to press

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Cory Booker, (D) New Jersey:

"This is astonishing to me that you now have the president the United States, amidst all the people in the United States of America, the thousands of judges he could've picked for, even the 20 plus people he could have picked on his list, he chose the one person that has written that he should have immunity from any investigation and from any kind of prosecution that might result. This to me is astonishing and not only that, it should not be allowed."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 10 July 2018

++SOTS SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"I am concerned about his views of executive power and I'm concerned that he may well be the deciding vote on issues around the ongoing Mueller investigation. So I think that's well worth following up."

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. John Kennedy, (R) Louisiana:

"I like what I see.  I'm going to do my job on Judiciary (Committee.) That's why God made the confirmation process, is for us to be able to ask hard questions. But I'm disappointed that some of my colleagues have just dismissed Judge Kavanaugh out of hand. I think they ought to give the man a chance."

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. John Kennedy, (R) Louisiana:

"You know I'm going to hold him to the same standard I held judge Gorsuch, now Justice Gorsuch. I want a cross between Socrates and Dirty Harry. I want a person of wisdom, but also someone who has the courage of his convictions. I want to know what's in his head. But I also want to know what's in his heart."

10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont:

"He has said in the past that he doesn't think a president should be distracted by criminal laws even if he's broken a criminal law. I was a prosecutor for eight years. I didn't think anybody was above the law."

US Senators began debating the merits of President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh on Tuesday

A day after Trump announced his choice, Democrats expressed concerns that Kavanaugh has previously stated that a sitting president should not be subpoenaed or investigated.

"I am concerned about his views of executive power and I'm concerned that he may well be the deciding vote on issues around the ongoing Mueller investigation," Senate Democrat Chris Coons said.

Yet Republicans are urging their Democratic colleagues to "give him a chance." Senator John Kennedy said he's disappointed some Democrats have "dismissed Judge Kavanaugh out of hand."

The Democrats have turned their attention to pressuring two Republicans, Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, to oppose any nominee who threatens the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. The two have supported access to abortion services.

Murkowski said Tuesday she would be asking for a meeting with Kavanaugh, adding that she looked forward to rolling up her sleeves and getting to work.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 10 July 2018

++EDIT STARTS AND ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

++SOTS SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

1. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Lisa Murkowski, (R) Alaska:

"I had not really dug into Judge Cavanagh's record, was going to wait until the president made clear who his pick was going to be. And so now that I know, I've got my team doing the digging and we'll be jumping into it along with the rest of the country."

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Lisa Murkowski, (R) Alaska:  

"I'm going to be asking for my own sit down with him. I've never met him so I'm anxious to meet him and to be able to visit with him one-on-one. So there's some work that we all have in front of us and I'm looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work."

POOL

Washington - 10 July 2018

3. Democratic Senators walk to podium

4. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader:

"Not only did Mr. Kavanaugh say that a president should not be subpoenaed. He said a president shouldn't be investigated. Mr. Kavanaugh, is the president above the law? And he went even further and made the incredulous statement that if the president deemed a law to be unconstitutional, he shouldn't follow it. That would be bad if anyone were president. But with Donald Trump who has shown so little respect for rule of law, for balance of power, for dispersion of power this is extremely dangerous."

5. Various of senators speaking to press

6. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Cory Booker, (D) New Jersey:

"This is astonishing to me that you now have the president the United States, amidst all the people in the United States of America, the thousands of judges he could've picked for, even the 20 plus people he could have picked on his list, he chose the one person that has written that he should have immunity from any investigation and from any kind of prosecution that might result. This to me is astonishing and not only that, it should not be allowed."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 10 July 2018

++SOTS SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"I am concerned about his views of executive power and I'm concerned that he may well be the deciding vote on issues around the ongoing Mueller investigation. So I think that's well worth following up."

8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. John Kennedy, (R) Louisiana:

"I like what I see.  I'm going to do my job on Judiciary (Committee.) That's why God made the confirmation process, is for us to be able to ask hard questions. But I'm disappointed that some of my colleagues have just dismissed Judge Kavanaugh out of hand. I think they ought to give the man a chance."

9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. John Kennedy, (R) Louisiana:

"You know I'm going to hold him to the same standard I held judge Gorsuch, now Justice Gorsuch. I want a cross between Socrates and Dirty Harry. I want a person of wisdom, but also someone who has the courage of his convictions. I want to know what's in his head. But I also want to know what's in his heart."

10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Patrick Leahy, (D) Vermont:

"He has said in the past that he doesn't think a president should be distracted by criminal laws even if he's broken a criminal law. I was a prosecutor for eight years. I didn't think anybody was above the law."

Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo says that bolstering the Iran nuclear deal will be a priority if he's confirmed by the Senate.

There is one month to go until a May 12 deadline that President Donald Trump set to either address what he calls flaws in the 2015 agreement, or withdraw from it. Pompeo said Thursday that fixing the deal is in America's best interest.

Pompeo told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that if the deal can't be fixed and Trump withdraws, he will still advocate for a tougher accord.

Pompeo also refused to answer questions about the FBI investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 elections.

Asked whether he agrees with President Donald Trump that the probe is a "witch hunt," Pompeo declined to offer his opinion.

POOL

Washington - 12 April 2018

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Ben Cardin, (D) Maryland:

"We're running very close to a deadline on certification. What is your view - is it better to pull out of an agreement that Iran is in compliance with if we can't fix it or is it better to stay in the agreement? Yes or No?"

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State Nominee / CIA Director:

"Senator, it's not a yes or no question because it's a hypothetical. We're not at that point."

UPSOUND (English) Sen. Ben Cardin, (D) Maryland:

"The president has to certify on May the 12th."

SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State Nominee / CIA Director:

"Yes, sir, that's yet almost a month away. It depends - clearly, if we're close, imagine for them-just as a hypothetical matter, imagine we're close to achieving the fix that the president has asked the State Department to achieve. If we're close, if there is some opportunity -"

UPSOUND (English) Sen. Ben Cardin, (D) Maryland:

"You pull out if we're close?"

SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State Nominee / CIA Director:

"In the event that we conclude that we can't fix this deal, that these serious shortcomings that you, Senator Cardin, yourself, have identified, then the president is going to be given best advice, including by me. And if there's no chance that we can fix it, I will recommend to the president that we do our level best to work with our allies to achieve a better outcome and a better deal."

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Ben Cardin, (D) Maryland:

"Are you in favor of regime change in North Korea?"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State Nominee / CIA Director:

"Senator, I have never advocated for regime change. I have all along-"

UPSOUND (English) Sen. Ben Cardin, (D) Maryland:

"It's a simple question. So you're not - you don't believe-"

SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State Nominee / CIA Director:

"I'm happy to answer today that I'm not advocating for regime change. Yes, senator."

5. UPSOUND (English) Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, (D) New Hampshire:

"Do you think special counsel Mueller's investigation is a witch hunt?"

6. UPSOUND (English) Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State Nominee / CIA Director:

"Ma'am, I'm going to not speak about any of the three investigations that I have been a participant in today."

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, (D) New Hampshire:

"It's hard for me to understand how we can have a secretary of state who is able to go to Russia and come to Congress and talk about the challenges and the threats that Russia faces to our democracy, when we have this conflicting position from the president of the United States who you would work for."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASH++

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Chris Coons, (D) Delaware:

"I'm convinced that if the president were to fire the special counsel or to interfere with this investigation by firing Rod Rosenstein with an intention to then interfere with and shut down this investigation, that it would put the rule of law genuinely at risk. If that were the case and if that happened, would you resign your post as secretary of state in order to demonstrate that we are a nation of laws not of men?"

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State Nominee / CIA Director:

"Senator, I haven't given that question any thought - my instincts tell me no. My instincts tell me that my obligation to continue to serve as America's senior diplomat will be more important at increased times of political domestic turmoil. We've seen this in America before, right? This wouldn't be the first time there's been enormous political turmoil. My recollection of the history is that previous secretaries of state stayed the course, continued to do their work, continued to do the requirements - statutory and constitutional that they had. Having not given it a great deal of thought, I'm confident that that's the path that I would take."