Washington (CNN) A year after President Donald Trump picked former California Rep. Darrell Issa to run the US Trade and Development Agency, a Senate hearing to consider the nomination was postponed over how to handle questions raised in his FBI file.

In front of Issa, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations committee, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, pushed for the public hearing to turn to a private session in which every member on the panel could learn of confidential information that only he and chairman Jim Risch, an Idaho Republican, knew to save Issa from any "embarrassment or harm."

"There's information in his FBI background investigation that concerns me greatly, and that I believe members may find problematic, and potentially disqualifying for Senate confirmation," Menendez said. "I firmly believe that every member of this committee should have the opportunity to review that information."

The panel held a vote. While Risch could have proceeded, a split between all Democrats and Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican of Kentucky, and all other Republicans gave him pause. Paul said that Menendez's motion was a "courtesy" to Issa and called Risch's process "terrible," since the senators could learn of potentially sensitive material about the nominee at the same time as the public.

After the 11-to-11 vote, Risch called for a short break and met with Issa, Menendez and others. When Risch returned to the hearing room on Capitol Hill, Issa did not. Risch then called for Issa's hearing to be postponed so that all senators on the panel could review the file.

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