The Senate is expected to send a temporary spending package known as a Continuing Resolution (CR) to the White House, averting a government shutdown before the Nov. 17 deadline with partial extensions until Jan. 19 and Feb. 2.

The passage could come as quickly as Wednesday evening or Thursday, sources familiar told Fox News Digital. The Biden administration told Fox News Digital in an email that if the Senate approves the CR, Biden ‘will sign this continuing resolution that maintains current funding levels and has no harmful policy riders.’

‘Looking ahead, House Republicans must stop wasting time on extreme, partisan appropriations bills that break the bipartisan agreement two-thirds of them voted for and instead work quickly with Democrats on full-year appropriations bills,’ a Biden spokesperson said. ‘Congress must also address urgent national security and domestic needs – including funding for Israel, Ukraine, humanitarian assistance, border security, WIC, and other critical priorities that have bipartisan support.’

A Senate aide told Fox News Digital on Wednesday there are currently discussions to speed up the procedure to get the CR to a full vote by Thursday night.

In a press conference Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said both he and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., ‘want to avoid a shutdown – so getting this done, obviously, before Friday midnight.’

‘You know, the Senate has lots of arcane rules, but McConnell and I are going to work together – we talked about this yesterday – to get it done as quickly as possible,’ he said.

But the process may not be as straightforward as leaders hope if Republicans introduce amendments. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has voiced his opposition to the CR, which GOP hardliners argue does not include enough spending cuts.

‘I will oppose the CR and instead offer a CR with reduced spending levels,’ Paul posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Tuesday night. 

A second Senate aide, however, told Fox News Digital ‘the amendment would obviously be expected to fail,’ and the CR will likely still be passed with bipartisan support. 

Aside from Paul, sources told Fox News Digital that other GOP members may not want to introduce amendments that will drag out the approval past the deadline just a week before Thanksgiving. 

But the aide predicted it may be a different scenario when the January and February staggered deadlines for funding roll around, triggering more debate between lawmakers in the upper chamber on spending for government programs. 

The House of Representatives passed the CR to avert a pre-holiday season government shutdown on Tuesday night along strong bipartisan lines.

It passed 336 to 95, well over the two-thirds margin it needed to get the measure over the line. Just two Democrats voted against the bill, along with 93 Republicans. 

The bill’s passage was the first big legislative test for Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., who took on the role less than a month ago shortly after former Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., was ousted.

Despite more Democrats voting for it than Republicans, Johnson did net a win in getting a majority of his GOP Conference to support the CR.

Fiscal year 2023 government funding was previously extended until Friday to give Congress more time to pass 12 individual appropriations bills, setting up the next year’s spending priorities. But faced with another looming deadline, House and Senate leaders agreed another short-term extension was needed.

‘Every Democrat is going to vote for it,’ another source familiar said. ‘And McConnell said he supports it, too, so that’s every Democrat plus one and there will certainly be more than one that follows, so they have the votes to just pass it as is.’

Fox News’ Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report. 

President Biden’s strong backing of Israel and his response to its war with terrorist organization Hamas speaks to the mainstream of the Democratic Party and the majority of Americans, according to supporters of the president, despite progressive Democrats publicly opposing the administration’s rejection of a cease-fire.

Multiple Biden allies told Fox News Digital that the administration’s stance against a cease-fire protects Americans and national security interests at home and abroad.

Nearly a dozen Biden allies defended the president’s policies in interviews with Fox News Digital after more than 400 government officials within the administration signed onto a letter opposing the president’s handling of the war, and demanding a cease-fire.

Current Biden administration officials, former Obama administration officials, Democratic lawmakers and Jewish community leaders defended the administration’s Israel policy as the president faces criticism and widespread protests.

Biden administration officials claimed media coverage of the conflict has been’lopsided,’ saying ‘there has been far more coverage of opposition to the president’s response and almost none about support.’

But just this week, more than 100 current and former government officials from both the Biden and Obama administrations came out in support of Biden’s policy. And tens of thousands attended the March for Israel rally at the National Mall in Washington in support of the administration’s policy and against a cease-fire. Earlier this month, two dozen veterans and military organizations signed onto a letter endorsing strong support for Israel.

‘Those calling for a cease-fire represent the fringe rather than the mainstream of the Democratic Party,’ Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., told Fox News Digital. ‘A cease-fire would do nothing more than empower Hamas.’ 

‘President Biden represents the mainstream of American politics. He speaks to the majority of Americans and the majority of Americans remain pro-Israel,’ he continued. ‘The Democratic leadership in both the House and the Senate are pro-Israel. The overwhelming majority of Democrats are pro-Israel.’

Torres added: ‘We’re taking our inspiration from the president. He is our standard-bearer. He is our leader.’

Over in the Senate, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., also endorsed the president.

‘President Biden has been putting on a master class of diplomacy when it comes to his handling of the Israel-Hamas war,’ Fetterman said. ‘He is a steady hand at the wheel, and doing exactly what is needed in this time of crisis.’

A Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday showed 60% of Democrats approved of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war, while just 33% disapproved. That poll showed 7% of Democrats were undecided.

Meanwhile, from a national security standpoint, Jeremy Bash, the former chief of staff at the Department of Defense and the Central Intelligence Agency during the Obama administration, told Fox News Digital that Biden’s policy has ‘prevented a wider regional war and protected America’s interests.’

‘The president has handled this crisis exactly as we want a commander in chief to operate,’ Bash said. ‘Those on the far left calling for a cease-fire are advocating that our ally Israel unilaterally disarm would be a terrible outcome for peace and stability. We wouldn’t do it ourselves – and we didn’t do it ourselves when we were fighting al Qaeda and ISIS. Nobody ever suggested to us that we engage in a cease-fire.’

Bash said Biden’s ‘strong backing’ for Israel’s military operations is ‘exactly the right call.’

‘Hamas is a radical terror organization that rapes women, kills children, and takes Americans hostage,’ Bash said. ‘I don’t know why anybody would want to keep them in power, and those on the far left who are arguing for a cease-fire would do just that.’

Bash said even the Palestinian Authority ‘supports Israel’s campaign to dismantle Hamas.’ 

‘So even if one believes that they are a champion of the Palestinian cause, they should be aligned with Israel and aligned with the approach that President Biden has taken to dismantle Hamas,’ Bash said, while warning that if Hamas is able to ‘survive,’ its ‘brand of terrorism would proliferate.’ 

Hamas would not hesitate to attack America or embassies, since the group killed 30 Americans in the Oct. 7 attack, took 10 more hostage, and views the U.S. as ‘the great Satan,’ Bash said.

‘If we allow a terrorist organization to attack Americans and get away with it, that threat will metastasize. And will eventually threaten our homeland,’ Bash added.

The president’s policy also protects U.S. troops, said Allison Jaslow, the chief executive officer of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, an Iraq War veteran, and a former Obama administration official.

‘The president is mindful of the fact that there are U.S. troops that are deployed in the broader region who are already being subjected to attacks. He doesn’t want those troops to be compromised even further,’ Jaslow said.

The Pentagon said this week that there have been 56 attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 17, with 59 U.S. personnel suffering either traumatic brain injury (TBI) or non-serious injuries.

As for those calling for a cease-fire, Jaslow said, ‘We’re not talking about a government. We are literally talking about a terrorist organization.’

‘They are not going to negotiate and stick to any rules,’ she explained. ‘We need to have eyes wide open about that.’

‘As a soldier who has had to navigate a complex battlefield, where you can’t tell the difference between good guys and bad guys, and where you have to play by a certain set of rules, but there are other folks out there – other actors – who don’t have to play by those same rules – as a platoon leader in combat, that is a very stressful experience,’ Jaslow continued. ‘I don’t have the luxury of naïveté.’

Jaslow said she ‘lived and breathed some of these dynamics in the Middle East region.’ 

‘The folks who are standing on the moral high ground thinking that there is an easy or safe way out of the situation that we’re in right now that doesn’t compromise our values and our commitments to key partners abroad are not living in the same reality that I’m living in and have had to live in,’ she said. ‘Cheers to the people who get to live in that ideal world, because I think they have lived, probably, a really privileged life.’

Jaslow added that those calling for a cease-fire are using ‘characterizations that are just completely over the top.’

‘A state defending its borders or responding to an attack that they did not entice does not equate to genocide,’ she said. ‘It just, objectively, does not.’ 

She also challenged the opponents of the president’s policy on whether they ‘agree with terrorism.’

‘I’m not sure that they have had to respond to this,’ she said. ‘Do they support Hamas and do they not want us to address the threat that they are? If they do want to address them as a threat, they need to be clear-eyed about what that might take.’

Despite standing firm against a cease-fire, Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to enact four-hour pauses of military operations each day in order to ensure humanitarian aid is able to make its way to residents who remain in Gaza, and to allow for civilians to take harbor or flee.

Netanyahu agreed, enacting those pauses last week. The Israeli Defense Forces also announce the pauses at least three hours before they begin, the White House said.

Biden allies blast ‘overly woke’ media coverage

But Biden administration officials said there has been ‘a disparity in coverage at a lot of mainstream media outlets’ about the president’s policy and the war. The officials spoke to Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity.

‘Far left Democratic activists and their allies in the media fairly call out antisemitic signaling from the right wing, but were accommodating when [Rep. Rashida] Tlaib was signaling for the destruction of the Jewish state and when the left has been swapping out Zionists to say Jews,’ a Biden administration official told Fox News Digital. ‘The media should do their jobs and stop selectively reading the tea leaves when it will fit what’s cool on their Ivy League alma mater’s campus.’

Another administration official told Fox News Digital that Biden’s actions since Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on Oct. 7 have been ‘a shining example of clear presidential leadership.’

‘While it is important to cover dissent, much of the mainstream press seems to be on a mission to erase those of us who support the president,’ the official said.

‘The media’s reporting on the cease-fire is completely unserious,’ a congressional Democratic aide told Fox News Digital. ‘Last time I checked, you need two sides to do a cease-fire and the other side says they are going to destroy the state of Israel and attack again and again and again.’

The aide said a cease-fire is just a ‘catchy term’ and ‘is not a real proposal,’ while bashing the media, saying the reporting on activist calls is ‘naive and overly woke.’ 

‘Maybe if one more member of Congress calls for a cease-fire, Hamas will agree – but I’m skeptical,’ the aide said sarcastically.

The officials and aides also pointed to political pundits claiming that the president’s policy could negatively impact his 2024 re-election campaign, saying he is losing key minority support.

But Jim Messina, who ran former President Barack Obama’s successful 2012 re-election campaign, told Fox News Digital that the president is on solid footing.

‘Biden is doing the right thing by standing with Israel as it responds to terrorists who say they want to commit more October 7ths, and by focusing on humanitarian aid for the Palestinians who Hamas is deliberately putting in harm’s way,’ Messina told Fox News Digital. ‘A majority of Americans support the president.’

When asked for comment, the White House said ‘fighting against the poison of antisemitism and standing up for Israel’s sovereign right to defend itself have always been core values for President Biden. And they always will be.’ 

‘Immediately after the ‘unadulterated evil’ of the most horrific terrorist attack in Israel’s history and the worst mass murder of Jewish people since the Holocaust, President Biden took decisive action to help Israel protect itself against Hamas. He is also working every day to prioritize the needs of the Palestinian people – the vast majority of whom have nothing to do with Hamas – by securing humanitarian aid, working to alleviate suffering in Gaza, and urging Israel to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties as they root out Hamas,’ White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital. ‘President Biden is committed to the dignity of all Americans, to seeing every community, and opposing every form of hate, whether it is antisemitism, Islamophobia, or any other dangerous and unacceptable prejudice.’

Jewish Americans praise Biden’s policies

Jewish Americans ‘have a deep reservoir of appreciation for what President Biden has done for Israel in this moment,’ Torres said.

The CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, Halie Soifer, who previously served as a national security adviser to then-Sen. Kamala Harris and a senior policy adviser in the Obama administration, praised Biden’s unequivocal condemnation of Hamas’ horrific acts of terror.

‘He has demonstrated this in both word and deed – his actions actually speak louder than words, though his words have been powerful as well,’ Soifer said.

Soifer told Fox News Digital that she was part of the group of Jewish American leaders that met with Biden at the White House on Oct. 11.

‘The emotion in the room was palpable because the president demonstrated that his commitment to Israel’s security and that of the Jewish community runs deep,’ she said.

Soifer also praised the president for being the first United States president to travel to Israel during wartime; his pledge for an ‘unprecedented amount of aid’ to Israel; and his efforts to ‘deter bad actors, including Iran, from getting involved in this crisis.’ 

‘But perhaps most importantly, he has continued to reassure the Jewish community that he stands with us amid this crisis,’ she said, citing the administration’s actions to combat antisemitism.

Eric Lesser, a former Massachusetts state senator and former Obama White House aide, said his personal interactions with World War II veterans and Holocaust survivors connected him to a ‘living memory of how quickly antisemitic rhetoric can turn violent’ – a connection that younger generations of Americans may lack.

Lesser said Biden is doing ‘what any American president needs to do, which is to stand by our ally in line with humanitarian requirements; and at home in the U.S., he’s making it crystal clear that persecuted and vulnerable minorities will be protected, and antisemitism won’t be tolerated.’

‘Sometimes partnership is not as evident until it is tested,’ Soifer added. ‘And if Oct. 7 was the test, Joe Biden has more than exceeded even the highest expectations.’

Soifer added: ‘He has established a policy that supersedes political divides.’

A new Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday showed President Biden’s approval rating sinking and support for former President Donald Trump rising as the 2024 election looms.

According to the poll, American voters’ worsening views of Biden were driven by his handling of the war between Israel and Hamas, which has also given Trump his first lead in the poll since February.

Just 37% of voters said they approved of Biden’s job performance, with 59% disapproving. The same number (37%) also said they viewed Biden favorably versus unfavorably (59%).

Concerning the war, just 37% said they approved of Biden’s response, while 54% said they disapproved. Those numbers have gotten dramatically worse for the president over the past two weeks, down from the 42% who said they approved and 46% who disapproved at the beginning of the month.

Trump fared better than Biden in terms of favorability, with 42% holding a favorable view of the former president and 55% an unfavorable one.

In a hypothetical 2024 matchup, Trump led Biden 48% to 46% — his first lead in Quinnipiac’s poll since February — although recent polls have still shown him within the margin of error behind Biden.

With independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. thrown into the mix, Trump still led with 38% support, followed by Biden at 37% and Kennedy at 21%.

Trump maintained that lead in a five-way race as well, garnering 38% to Biden’s 35%, Kennedy’s 17%, independent candidate Cornel West’s 3% and the Green Party’s Jill Stein at 3%.

Trump also maintained his massive lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination with 64% support, compared to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 16%, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s 9%, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy’s 4%, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s 2% and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum’s 1%.

For the Democrat presidential nomination, Biden received 74%, followed by author Marianne Williamson at 12%, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips at 4% and progressive political commentator Cenk Uygur at 1%.

EXCLUSIVE: House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., suggested that the impeachment inquiry of President Biden would be moving into the next ‘appropriate step,’ which includes gathering key witness testimony.

Johnson got an update on the impeachment inquiry earlier on Wednesday from the three House GOP committee chairmen who are leading the probe: Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith, R-Mo.

‘At this stage, our impeachment inquiry has already shown the corrupt conduct of the president’s family and that he and White House officials have repeatedly lied about his knowledge and involvement in his family’s business activities,’ Johnson told Fox News Digital afterward.

‘It has also exposed the tens of millions of dollars from foreign adversaries being paid to shell companies controlled by the president’s son, brother and their business associates,’ he added.

Johnson said the impeachment inquiry is moving ahead with his support.

‘Now, the appropriate step is to place key witnesses under oath and question them under the penalty of perjury to fill gaps in the record,’ Johnson said.

‘I commend the good work of Chairmen Comer, Jordan and Smith. As we move forward toward an inflection point in this critical investigation, they have my full and unwavering support.’

House Republicans have accused Biden and his family of bribery and influence peddling, including with foreign actors. The president’s allies have dismissed the allegations as political attacks.

Last week, Comer subpoenaed both the president’s son and brother, Hunter Biden and James Biden, as well as several associates, including the gallery owner who hosted Hunter’s foray into the professional art world, Georges Bergès.

Johnson, who was a constitutional lawyer before being elected to Congress, has taken a careful and meticulous approach to the possibility of impeaching the president.

He’s made no secret of his own opinions, including as a member of the Judiciary Committee before becoming speaker, but Johnson has urged Republicans to follow due process to build a case.

Johnson said at a press conference this month that House Republicans were ‘coming to a point of decision’ on impeachment ‘very soon.’

‘We have to follow due process, and we have to follow the law,’ he said. ‘That means following our obligation on the Constitution and doing appropriate investigations in the right way at the right pace, so that the evidence comes in and we follow the evidence where it leads.’

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on Johnson’s Wednesday statement.

This is one of three Fox News Polls released Wednesday. See results of Fox News’ polling on the 2024 presidential race here and on the Israel-Hamas war here.

More than half of American voters continue to support sending financial aid to help Ukraine fight against Russia’s invasion, though that number has fallen since January.

That’s according to the latest Fox News poll, released Wednesday.

A majority of 54% favors sending financial aid to Ukraine, down 9 points since January when 63% backed it.  

The downward shift in support comes mainly from Republicans — just 35% favor continuing aid to Ukraine, down from 51% in January. Democrats remain highly supportive of helping the war-torn country (76% vs. 79% in January).

Overall, 43% oppose sending money (up from 34%).

For comparison, 60% favor sending financial aid to the Israeli government for their military (37% oppose).  

‘This isn’t unexpected — historically, support for foreign engagements drops over time,’ says Daron Shaw, who serves as the Republican pollster on Fox News surveys along with Democrat Chris Anderson. ‘What’s different this time is Democrats are the most willing to stay the course for Ukraine.’ 

Two-thirds of voters remain extremely or very concerned about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (67%). While that’s about where concern was in January, it’s down from a high of 82% in March 2022 soon after the war’s start.

Three-quarters (74%) are concerned about the Israel-Hamas war. 

Just over a third (35%) think the U.S. should be doing less in general when it comes to helping Ukraine, while 21% say it should be doing more. The bulk of voters say the U.S. is doing the right amount (41%).  

Results in August were similar, but last December 29% of voters said America should be doing more versus 26% who said less.

The switch suggests second thoughts among Republicans and independents who now both think the country should be doing less. Democrats still feel the U.S. should be doing more (32%) rather than less (18%). 

CLICK HERE FOR TOPLINES AND CROSSTABS

Conducted November 10-13, 2023, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with 1,001 registered voters nationwide who were randomly selected from a voter file and spoke with live interviewers on both landlines and cellphones. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all registered voters.

This is one of three Fox News Polls released Wednesday. See results of Fox News’ polling on the 2024 presidential race here and on Americans’ support for Ukraine here.

More than a month after Hamas launched a horrific attack on Israel, most voters blame the terrorist group for the war in the Gaza Strip and continue to side with the Israelis over the Palestinians. 

That’s according to the latest Fox News survey, released Wednesday.

On the war, 66% of voters side with the Israelis, while 22% support the Palestinians. That is about where sentiment was when the war started in October (68% vs. 18%).

Majorities of Republicans (77%), Democrats (56%) and independents (60%) side with Israel.

Voters under age 30 (40% Israel, 47% Palestinians) and those who self-identified as very liberal (37%, 43%) are the only groups with a majority that doesn’t support the Jewish state.

Despite more overall siding with Israelis, 30% think the U.S. is too supportive of them, while 21% say not supportive enough. The largest share, nearly half, thinks the level of U.S. backing is about right (45%).

Democrats (36% too supportive), nonwhite voters (38%) and voters under age 30 (45%) drive the ‘too supportive’ sentiment. Fewer Republicans (25%) and conservatives (22%) feel that way.

Seven in 10 (69%) blame Hamas for the war in the Gaza Strip, while 20% say Israel is at fault.

Since the start of the current war, protests have disrupted college campuses across the U.S. The poll asks voters how they would feel about limiting the free speech of those rallying in support of Hamas.

Sixty percent wouldn’t like limiting such speech, while 36% would feel comfortable doing so. More Republicans (42%) would be okay with restricting free speech on the matter than Democrats (31%) or independents (33%).

Overall, 82% are extremely or very concerned about threats to personal rights and freedoms. Those most concerned are Republicans (87%), voters over age 65 (86%) and men (85%).

When it comes to providing financial aid to the Israeli government for its military, 60% are in favor, up 4 points since 2021. Nearly 4 in 10 (37%) oppose aid for Israel’s military.

However, voters also want to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians in Gaza: 65% in favor vs. 31% opposed.

‘Americans overwhelmingly blame Hamas for the situation in Gaza, but there is deep concern for Palestinians caught in the war,’ said Democrat Chris Anderson, who conducts the Fox News survey with Republican Daron Shaw. ‘As a result, most support military aid to Israel, and even more support humanitarian aid to Palestinians.’

Democrats are more likely to favor the U.S. sending aid to Palestinians (80%) than they are to the Israeli government (57%), while it is the opposite for Republicans (50% Palestinians, 67% Israelis).

Independents are split over money to Israel (48%-48%), but favor sending humanitarian aid to those in the Gaza Strip (65%-31%).

Meanwhile, 70% of voters feel President Biden has been too accommodating toward Iran, which supports Hamas. This is up from 59% in March, and the increase is happening across demographics.

Overall, 39% approve of Biden’s response to the Israel-Hamas war, while a 55% majority disapproves. At the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, 42% approved of his response, while 54% disapproved (March 2022).

‘The Biden administration has its hands full on this issue,’ says Shaw. ‘There is strong sentiment supporting Israel, but there is also a pervasive feeling the Palestinian people are being used as pawns by Hamas. In particular, key elements of the Democratic coalition — young people, liberals and nonwhite voters — hold this view.’

Voters under age 35 are among those most likely to disapprove of Biden’s handling of the war, with fully 69% giving him negative marks. The only group that disapproves more are Republicans and very conservatives (76% each).

In addition to the 82% concerned about personal rights/freedoms, three-quarters of voters are extremely or very concerned about the war in Israel (74%) and about attacks by Islamic terrorists in the U.S. (73%). Two-thirds are concerned about antisemitism (67%) — the same number is concerned about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Worry about terrorist attacks in the U.S. is up 23 points since May.

CLICK HERE FOR TOPLINE AND CROSSTABS

Conducted Nov. 10-13, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with 1,001 registered voters nationwide who were randomly selected from a voter file and spoke with live interviewers on both landlines and cellphones. The poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for all registered voters.