Defying US House Speaker, pro-Ukraine Republican Brian Fitzpatrick representing Pennsylvania prepares a rarely-used procedural maneuver known as a discharge petition to force a vote on $60+ billion in assistance to Ukraine, facing resistance from far-right members of his own party, according to Axios.
The aid package has been stalled since last fall due largely to opposition from the far-right Republicans in the US Congress, suspending military assistance that Kyiv badly needs to fight Russia. The Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid bill, including $60+ billion for Ukraine, last month with bipartisan support, yet Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson made clear he wouldn’t give it a vote on the House floor, stating on 14 February that the House will not feel “rushed” to pass the package.
The discharge petition requires 218 signatures to be brought to the House floor for a vote. While expected to garner widespread Democratic support, Fitzpatrick will need several members of his own party to sign on. He expressed confidence he can secure enough Republican backing, claiming “more than you think” will join.
“We have to get something done,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, who is leading the push, as per Axios. “It’s existential, it’s time sensitive. Whether that’s our product or somebody else’s, we’ve just got to get the money out the door to them,” he said.
