Overview
- The petition, which reached 218 signatures Wednesday, compels a House vote on the Ukraine Support Act after months of stalling.
- All Democrats signed on, joined by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Don Bacon, with Independent Rep. Kevin Kiley providing the final signature after saying Ukraine needs leverage for diplomacy.
- The bill authorizes roughly $1.3 billion in security aid and up to $8 billion in loans, refills U.S. weapons stockpiles, creates a reconstruction coordinator, extends lend‑lease‑style authority, and tightens sanctions on Russian banks, energy and mining, with proposals that include steep tariffs and an oil import ban.
- Backers expect the House to pass the measure in early June, but it faces long odds in the GOP‑led Senate and likely resistance from the White House, where a 60‑vote Senate hurdle for sanctions could prove decisive.
- A discharge petition lets 218 members force a floor vote without the speaker’s consent, a rarely used tool that has seen a spike this Congress as members bypass Speaker Mike Johnson, with outlets noting rising counts of successful petitions even if tallies differ.