US House to try to bypass Speaker Johnson to approve aid to Ukraine

, 1 March 2024, 07:35

Brian Fitzpatrick, a pro-Ukraine Republican in the US House of Representatives, is preparing an attempt to bypass Speaker Mike Johnson to get the stalled Ukraine aid bill approved.

"We have to get something done... 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," Axios quotes Fitzpatrick.

He told journalists that he is preparing a so-called discharge petition that could force a vote in the House of Representatives if it gets 218 signatures.

Such a petition would require the support of a small number of Republicans, provided it receives the signatures of a majority of House Democrats.

This manoeuvre also requires a certain amount of time – 30 business days– before the petition can be brought to a vote.

Fitzpatrick said the petition would be ready for signature in early March and made it clear that he expected some Republicans to sign it.

When asked about the depth of Republican support, he said: "[There’s] more than you think ... a lot of people who know it's the right thing to do."

One House Republican, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Axios that they would sign the petition "if [there is] no other progress."

But Fitzpatrick also emphasised that the discharge petition would mainly serve to "apply a pressure point to get something done soon."

Fitzpatrick said he has not yet decided which of the several Ukraine aid proposals he will try to bring to the table.

Earlier, US House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said that the bill on additional funding for Ukraine would be considered as soon as the issue of funding the federal government is resolved.