Senate clashes over fate of embattled election watchdog

The Federal Election Commission — which is charged with policing federal campaign finance law — has been sidelined for months leading up to the presidential election because it lost its quorum. But a hearing Tuesday to fill a seat on the FEC with a new appointee from President Donald Trump sparked fierce pushback from Democrats upset with Trump's handling of the vacancies and the nominee's views on election law.

Senate Democrats not only disapprove of Texas election lawyer Trey Trainor’s public history of supporting lax campaign finance regulations, they are furious with a break in tradition by the White House and Senate Republicans, which typically sees a bipartisan pair of nominees advanced together instead of just one nominee. The fight drew both Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to the hearing room of the Senate Rules Committee for an unusual battle of words off the Senate floor.