House Discharge Petition Hits 218 for Ukraine Aid Vote

Supporters of legislation to provide additional U.S. military aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia secured 218 signatures on a discharge petition Wednesday, forcing a vote on the House floor in the coming weeks.

The Ukraine Support Act, introduced last year by Representative Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat and top member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, authorizes 1.3 billion dollars in security assistance for Ukraine. It also makes up to 8 billion dollars available in direct loans for military equipment, establishes financing for postwar reconstruction and creates a special coordinator position for those efforts. The bill further imposes sanctions and export controls targeting Russian financial institutions, oil and mining sectors, and officials, while overriding presidential actions to end existing sanctions without cause.

The petition, which bypasses opposition from House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, and the White House, drew signatures from all 215 House Democrats along with Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Don Bacon of Nebraska. California Representative Kevin Kiley, who recently switched his affiliation from...