Senate Republicans are returning fire in an escalating battle over documents from Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's work in the Bush-era White House.

Sen. Orrin Hatch Orrin Grant HatchBottom line Bottom line Senate GOP divided over whether they'd fill Supreme Court vacancy MORE (R-Utah) said on Thursday that was "sick and tired" of the partisanship surrounding the Supreme Court fight.

"We can't keep going down this partisan, picky, stupid, dumbass road that has happened around here for so long," the normally mild-mannered senator said as Republicans stood in front of dozens of empty boxes labeled "Kavanaugh files."

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GOP Sen. John Cornyn John CornynQuinnipiac polls show Trump leading Biden in Texas, deadlocked race in Ohio The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Liberal super PAC launches ads targeting vulnerable GOP senators over SCOTUS fight MORE (Texas) quipped that Democrats were on the "great paper chase."

Democrats have seized on Kavanaugh's work as staff secretary for President George W. Bush, arguing that Republicans are trying to "hide" something in his record by not requesting documents tied to the three-year period.

But Republicans hit back, accusing Democrats of using the documents fight to delay a nominee against whom most of the 49-member caucus will likely vote.

The battle over the documents request has emerged as a lightning rod in the now weeks-old Supreme Court fight.

Though senators estimate Kavanaugh's paper trail will amount to roughly a million pages, Democrats want to see papers and emails from his time as staff secretary, which they say could show Kavanaugh's thinking on issues like torture and surveillance.

“The National Archives has confirmed that Senate Republicans are keeping a large majority of Judge Kavanaugh’s White House records hidden from the public. ... What are President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE and Senate Republicans hiding?" Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck SchumerPelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' 3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Cruz blocks amended resolution honoring Ginsburg over language about her dying wish MORE (D-N.Y.) asked in a statement on Thursday.

Kavanaugh has been on the federal bench since 2006 and has decades-long ties to Washington, including work as a White House lawyer and staff secretary for Bush, as well as serving as a prosecutor on Ken Starr's Clinton-era probe.