Hillary Clinton backs President Obama's push for strike in Syria

FILE: Aug. 12, 2013: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at the American Bar Association's annual meeting, in San Francisco, Calif. (AP)

Former Secretary of State and potential 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is backing President Obama's decision to seek Congress' support for a military strike in Syria.

A senior administration official tells Fox News Clinton has told the White House she is supporting its mission to pursue a targeted response to the Assad regime's use of chemical weapons.

President Obama expressed confidence Tuesday Congress would respond to his call for support on a strike on Syria, and said Assad's action "poses a serious national security threat to the United States and to the region."

The president met top lawmakers at the White House before embarking on an overseas trip to Sweden and Russia, leaving the principal lobbying at home for a Syria strike for the next few days to Vice President Joe Biden and other members of his administration.

Polls show public opposition to U.S. military intervention in Syria, regardless of whether Syria's government used chemical weapons on its people, and doubts about airstrikes across party lines.

The Associated Press contributed to this report