Eighteen House Republicans broke ranks on Thursday and joined nearly every single Democrat in voting to send an additional $1.3 billion in aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia.
In a 226-195 vote, the House approved the legislation, defying both House GOP leadership and President Donald Trump’s preferred approach to ending the war in Ukraine. Overall, 18 House Republicans voted with 207 Democrats to approve the measure.
Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-CA), an independent who caucuses with Republicans, also voted in favor. One Democrat and 194 House Republicans opposed the measure.
Kiley and Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) joined with Democrats to force the aid package to the floor using a discharge petition. The parliamentary procedure bypasses the committee process and forces legislation directly to a floor vote if 218 lawmakers sign on in support.
Kiley, who is facing an uphill reelection battle after mid-decade redistricting, said last month he was convinced to support the maneuver because “the collapse of the recent ceasefire shows that leverage is needed for diplomacy to succeed.
Democrats have long sought to bring a Ukraine aid bill to the House floor. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has also faced skepticism from lawmakers of both parties during multiple Capitol Hill budget-related hearings regarding Ukraine aid. Last month, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) accused the Pentagon of failing to disburse $400 million in aid to Ukraine.
The majority of House Republicans have opposed additional aid to Ukraine over concerns about corruption in Kyiv. Instead, Trump has pushed NATO allies to purchase weapons directly from the United States and transfer them to Ukraine.
House Republicans have also argued that the bill, introduced last June, is outdated in relation to NATO spending and the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
DEMOCRATS EXERCISE A HOUSE FLOOR POWER GRAB AMID SMALL MARGINS
While the Ukraine aid package passed the House, it faces long odds of becoming law. In the Senate, the measure will require a bipartisan coalition to overcome the 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Even if the measure passes Congress, Trump can still veto it, which would require a two-thirds vote in both chambers to override.