Senate Democrats are rallying behind Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE after her marathon appearance before the House Select Committee on Benghazi, suggesting Republicans have only helped bolster the former secretary of State's presidential bid.

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The California Democrat — who led the Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation into the 2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya —added that "those [committee] rooms get hot. The lights get bright. I think she showed drive and a staying power and a motivation. ... I could see her across the table from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin."

Clinton has won wide praise from the media and Democrats for her hours-long testimony, capping off a positive few weeks for a campaign that was embattled for months by questions over Clinton's private email server.

The Benghazi Committee has been under intensifying scrutiny since House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) linked its work with Clinton's flagging poll numbers. His remarks late last month drew quick pushback from Democrats, as well as some Republicans.

"This has just been a partisan attempt to undermine Hillary Clinton. It hasn't succeeded," she added.

Republican leadership, however, has given no indication that it's willing to shutter the committee and instead defended its work in investigating the 2012 attacks, which killed four Americans including Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

House Democrats said separately on Friday that they will stick with the committee for now despite pressure to boycott. Schumer avoided weighing in on whether they should stop participating.

"I'll leave it up to them. They know best," he told reporters, adding that "this committee should be shut down by the Republican leadership."