Senate committee could oppose Pompeo as US secretary of state

The powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee was expected today to oppose President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, in an unprecedented rebuke that could unsettle delicate US negotiations with North Korea.

That vote, scheduled to take place at about 5:00 pm, would not end the nomination, but would put a negative recommendation in the hands of the closely-divided full Senate -- where his approval is not guaranteed.

The White House pressured senators to endorse Pompeo, currently the CIA director, with Trump blasting Democrats as "obstructionists" and his spokeswoman Sarah Sanders accusing them of playing "political games" with the crucial cabinet post.

But the committee, with 11 Republicans and 10 Democrats, appeared set to vote against the nomination, with Republican maverick Rand Paul set to join all the Democrats in opposition.

"Hard to believe Obstructionists may vote against Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State. The Dems will not approve hundreds of good people," Trump tweeted early Monday.

"We certainly hope that some members will change their minds," Sanders said on Fox News.

"At some point, Democrats have to decide whether they love this country more than they hate this president. And they have to decide that they want to put the safety and the security and the diplomacy of our country ahead of their own political games."