Scoop: Senate Dems demand bipartisan probe of Trump's watchdog purge

• Nearly a dozen Senate Democrats, led by freshman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), called for the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee to investigate the firings in a letter obtained by Axios.
• Schiff and the other Democrats said the firings are a "clear violation of federal law" that pose an "existential threat to the federal government's ability to conduct independent oversight.
• Trump fired the inspector general at USAID on Tuesday following a scathing report about the White House's efforts to dismantle the agency.

Catch up quick: Trump unilaterally fired what reports say was as many as 18 inspectors general late last month across a wide range of federal departments, touching off a backlash that wasn't limited to congressional Democrats.

• Even Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a staunch Trump ally, demanded answers from the White House about the firings.|
• Federal law requires the White House to give Congress 30 days' notice and justification for any firing of an inspector general. Trump did not take that step.

• The watchdogs serve as nonpartisan internal auditors and investigators for federal agencies.

Zoom out: Senate Democrats' appeal for the Homeland Security panel to hold a bipartisan hearing over the watchdog sackings was addressed to Chair Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

• Leading House Democrats are weighing legal, investigative and legislative options to respond to the inspectors general firings.
• But in both chambers, Democrats are limited in what they can do without the help of majority Republicans.