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Article snippet: CIA Director on Thursday faced a grilling from Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, suggesting he faces uncertain prospects to win a panel vote to become the nation’s top diplomat. Pompeo declined to answer repeated questions from Democrats related to the ongoing Russia investigations and was challenged at several points to break with MORE, as lawmakers voiced concerns that he would be too deferential as secretary of State. Pompeo’s performance seemed widely to please Republicans on the panel, but with the defection of Sen. MORE (R-Ariz.) home receiving treatment for cancer, he will need support from Democrats to win confirmation. Getting a majority vote from the panel — the first hurdle for the former Kansas congressman — could prove difficult. Paul, who vowed to oppose Pompeo’s nomination over his support for the Iraq War and his past position on torture, sits on the committee. If the committee’s 10 Democrats join him in voting against Pompeo, it would be a 11-10 vote against his confirmation. No Democrats on the panel have so far offered their support. Sen. MORE (Va.) — have expressed concerns. For Democrats, a common theme Thursday was how Pompeo views the executive branch’s authority to conduct war in hot spots ranging from Syria to North Korea to Iran. The nominee appeared to stumble on the questions at times, saying he did not want to conduct an impromptu legal analysis. Still, he pushed back on the notion that he is a war hawk — a concern... Link to the full article to read more