Six House Republicans joined Democrats on Wednesday to advance legislation that would provide additional support to Ukraine, breaking with House GOP leadership and highlighting ongoing divisions within the Republican Party over U.S. involvement in the war.
The House voted 218-204 to move forward with the Ukraine Support Act through a discharge petition, a procedural tool that allows lawmakers to bring legislation to the floor without leadership approval. The measure had remained stalled for more than a year after Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee declined to advance it.
Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Mike Lawler of New York, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Michael McCaul of Texas, Joe Wilson of South Carolina, and Max Miller of Ohio joined Democrats in supporting the effort.
The legislation was introduced in April 2025 by Rep. Gregory Meeks, a New York Democrat. After House Speaker Mike Johnson did not schedule a vote on the bill, Meeks filed a discharge petition in July 2025. The petition eventually secured the required 218 signatures by May 13, paving the way for Wednesday’s vote.
If enacted, the bill would authorize $8 billion in military financing loans for Ukraine and extend the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2027. The program allows the United States to provide weapons and military equipment from Pentagon stockpiles to Ukraine.
US House advances bill to provide aid to Ukraine and sanction Russia through a discharge petition.
6 Republicans + Kiley voted with all Democrats to advance the bill. pic.twitter.com/Oy7ofJljeD
— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) June 3, 2026
The legislation also includes additional economic and sanctions-related provisions. It would expand restrictions on financial institutions that conduct business with Russian officials and state-owned enterprises, target entities that help Russia evade existing sanctions, and impose a 500% tariff on Russian imports. The bill would also create a Ukraine Reconstruction Trust Fund and impose sanctions on North Korea, Iran, and Belarus for supporting Russia’s war effort.
Despite clearing this procedural hurdle, the measure faces significant political obstacles. President Donald Trump and many congressional Republicans have repeatedly called for an end to the conflict and have questioned continued U.S. financial and military support for Ukraine.
Trump has argued that American assistance to Ukraine represents an unnecessary expense and has emphasized pursuing negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The White House is widely expected to oppose the legislation if it reaches the president’s desk.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Johnson urged Republicans during a closed-door House GOP conference meeting to vote against the discharge petition. House Republican leadership has largely opposed efforts to advance the legislation outside the normal committee process.
A House Republican aide also criticized the measure, arguing that it sends the wrong message to NATO allies.
“Anyone voting for this is saying that NATO countries should be spending 2% of their GDP on national defense rather than 5%,” the aide told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “That is the exact opposite of aiding Ukraine.”
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the United States has allocated approximately $188 billion in funding and emergency assistance related to Ukraine.
Public opinion remains divided on the issue. According to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in February 2025, 47% of Republicans said the United States was providing too much support to Ukraine, compared to 14% of Democrats. Meanwhile, 35% of Democrats said the U.S. had not provided enough aid.
