White House backs Sessions as some House Republicans push to hold him in contempt

"I think we are supportive of our Cabinet," White House legislative affairs director Marc Short told CNN, though he acknowledged Hill "frustration" with the Justice Department over records.

Short would not say if the Justice Department should hand over the documents but when asked if the House should back off, he added again: "I think we are supportive of our Cabinet."

Short's comments are notable given Trump's extensive, public criticism of the Justice Department and Sessions specifically.

House Speaker Paul Ryan also appears noncommittal so far of the effort by House Intelligence Committee Chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes of California, to hold Sessions in contempt.

"This is not something the chairman has discussed with the speaker," AshLee Strong, spokeswoman for Ryan, said Monday when asked if the speaker supported the effort.

Nunes launched the latest contempt threat to Sessions on Sunday on "Fox and Friends," and sources tell CNN that House Republicans want to hold a vote over the next several days.

The clash over records involves a "specific individual," according to a letter obtained by CNN, and it relates to the Russia investigation -- which Sessions is recused from.

Nunes has called the request "very important," but the Justice Department says turning over the materials could risk lives and sources, and could compromise ongoing criminal investigations.

Speaking in San Diego, California, on Monday, Sessions said the Justice Department has told Nunes his request goes too far but that the department would be willing to talk about to him about it.

"The Department of Justice has written him a letter and responded as appropriate to him. The request he's made is one that the intelligence communities and Department of Justice feels is not grantable," Sessions said. "We have explained that we would like -- we would be willing to talk to him about it before, the details of which I couldn't discuss."

In the past, Ryan and the White House have backed Nunes' document requests, resulting in lawmakers being given access to a significant amount of classified materials.

In this latest dust-up, the department has offered to discuss whether there are other ways to accommodate Nunes' request, but it has yet to hear from the California Republican, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Rep. Mike Conaway, the Texas Republican who led the House's Russia investigation, said it was "premature" to be discussing contempt.

"We expect our subpoenas to be complied with and we'll see what happens," he said.

But Rep. Chris Stewart, a Utah Republican on the Intelligence panel, said he was open to contempt if it was necessary to obtain the information.

"I would support whatever tools we have available," Stewart said. "There's no reason in the world for this information not to be available."

Stewart pointed to the initial redactions of former FBI Director James Comey's testimony on Michael Flynn's FBI interview in the House GOP's Russia report. The information was declassified in the latest version of the report, and Stewart said it was another sign of the administration using redactions to protect the FBI.

Ohio GOP Rep. Brad Wenstrup also backed Nunes, emphasizing that Congress has oversight over the Justice Department.

"If we're going to be a government of the people, then the people that represent the people have oversight over these agencies," Wenstrup said. "We have subpoena power. They should respond to the subpoena," he added. "Or else how can we really tell the American people what's going on in the government?"