A bill to deliver fresh aid to Ukraine will reach the House floor soon due to a successful discharge petition forcing a vote on the Ukraine Support Act.
Rep. Kevin Kiley, a California independent who caucuses with Republicans, became the 218th signature on Wednesday, obligating House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring it to the floor of the lower chamber despite his objections.
“Recent Ukrainian gains have created an opportunity for peace, but the collapse of the recent ceasefire shows that leverage is needed for diplomacy to succeed,” Mr. Kiley said. “Congress can act now, in a bipartisan way, to strengthen that leverage and advance a durable peace that protects the interests of the United States and our allies.”
The petition, brought forth by Rep. Gregory Meeks, New York Democrat and ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, was filed last summer and had been stalled for months over the need for one more signature.
Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., listens to …
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Aside from House Democrats, two Republicans, Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Don Bacon of Nebraska, signed the petition.
“A message to our Ukrainian friends: Help is on the way,” Mr. Fitzpatrick, the Congressional Ukraine Caucus co-chair, said Wednesday.
Action on the bill may come as soon as the first week of June, Politico reported.
The legislation would provide $1.3 billion in assistance for Ukraine and up to $8 billion in direct loans.
It also imposes new sanctions on Russia, seeks to restock U.S. weapons for Kyiv, creates financing measures for postwar reconstruction and reaffirms the importance of NATO as the four-year conflict continues into a new year.
The petition’s final signature signifies a blow to Mr. Johnson, who has wrestled to unify his conference amid a thin GOP majority and a record-setting surge in successful House discharge petitions.
Such measures act as a tool that lets members force a bill out of a committee and onto the House floor for a vote, bypassing committee leadership and acting as a check against majority leadership control.
The legislation faces resistance from President Trump and his allies in Congress.
He opposes Ukraine support legislation based on his America First philosophy, prioritizing domestic issues over foreign aid and demanding European allies take primary responsibility.
