US House Group Forces Vote on Ukraine Aid, Russia Sanctions by End of May

A bipartisan US House group has forced a vote on Ukraine aid and Russia sanctions, bypassing Speaker Mike Johnson. This triggers a procedural clock for a floor vote by the end of May, although enactment is unlikely given a Republican-controlled Senate and White House opposition.

California independent Kevin Kiley, who caucuses with Republicans, signed Representative Gregory Meeks's discharge petition on May 13, bringing the total to 218 signatures. This number is required to force a House floor vote. All 215 House Democrats, along with Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick and Don Bacon, had previously signed the petition.

The Meeks bill provides $1.3 billion in military aid for Ukraine and authorizes up to $8 billion through direct loans. It also replenishes US weapons stocks, funds postwar reconstruction, and adds new sanctions targeting Russia and its war effort. Meeks, who chairs the House Democrats' Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced the bill in April 2023, citing concerns about President Donald Trump's stance toward Moscow.

This marks the eighth time in three years that lawmakers have used a discharge petition to bypass GOP leadership. Discharge petitions require 218 of 435 members to circumvent the Speaker.