Story highlights The Senate judiciary committee is one of several panels investigating Russian interference

Members of the committee have two bills to protect Special Counsel Robert Mueller

(CNN) The Republican-led Senate judiciary committee now plans to take the first steps on legislation that would make it harder for President Donald Trump to fire Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the latest sign that Trump could face a backlash from Capitol Hill if he sought to dismiss the special counsel.

At the same time, the Senate panel is weighing whether to compel the appearance of Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, along with two senior FBI officials, all of whom have yet to agree to be interviewed despite the demands of committee leaders.

The series of moves are the latest sign in the uptick of activity by the powerful committee, which is investigating political interference with the FBI, the firing of former FBI Director James Comey as well as any Russian-Trump campaign coordination in the 2016 elections -- something the President has dismissed as a hoax.

Now the panel plans to begin examining two bills that could prevent Trump from firing the special counsel, something the White House says the President isn't considering, but what many on the Hill fear could still ultimately happen given Trump's lingering frustration with the investigation.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina who is co-authoring one of the bills, said he's been informed that the Senate judiciary committee plans to hold a hearing on the measures within the next two weeks. Two other sources with direct knowledge of the discussions confirmed the account of Tillis, who also sits on the judiciary committee, with the hearing expected in the last week of September.

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