Sen. Richard Burr skipped a July trip to the White House because of his ongoing probe. | Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images Key Russia investigator to attend Senate lunch with Trump "I go to a policy lunch every week," Burr said, adding: "I'm going to be in a body of colleagues. I don't think it's improper to go to a regularly scheduled lunch."

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who is leading the chamber's investigation into Donald Trump's ties to Russia, said he plans to attend the president's visit to the Senate GOP conference on Tuesday.

Burr skipped a July trip to the White House because of his ongoing probe. But in a brief interview Monday, Burr drew a distinction between his decision not to join that trip by GOP senators and his expected attendance when Trump comes to the Capitol on Tuesday. The president is set to speak to Senate Republicans during their weekly policy lunch, his first such appearance at the upper chamber.


"I go to a policy lunch every week," Burr said, adding: "I'm going to be in a body of colleagues. I don't think it's improper to go to a regularly scheduled lunch."

When Burr skipped the White House lunch in July, he cited the risk of any potential encounter that might be misinterpreted given his leading role in the Russia probe.

"I just don't think it's appropriate to be chair of the committee and to put myself in a situation where a picture or something might be construed the wrong way,” Burr said at the time.