(CNN) A Senate panel voted on party lines Thursday to advance President Donald Trump's attorney general nominee William Barr, setting up a confirmation vote next week that will underscore the deep partisan divide over the nomination, particularly concerning how Barr would oversee the special counsel investigation.

Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary committee have said that Barr, the former attorney general under President George H.W. Bush, is qualified for the position. In 1991, he was confirmed to it without opposition.

But Democrats said Thursday that Barr, 68, has to be scrutinized under what Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont called the "extraordinary circumstances" of 2019, as special counsel Robert Mueller has obtained 37 indictments on various charges during his investigation.

All 12 Republicans on the panel voted for Barr, while all 10 Democrats voted against him.

In supporting Barr's nomination, Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham said, "I think we need a steady hand at the Department of Justice."

Read More