Six House Republicans broke ranks with their party leadership on Wednesday, joining forces with Democrats to advance a long-stalled bill that would provide billions of dollars in fresh financial and military support to Ukraine.
In a 218-204 vote, the House approved a discharge petition to bring the Ukraine Support Act to the floor. The procedural maneuver bypassed Republican leadership, which had kept the bill bottled up in committee for over a year. Republican Representatives 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 voted with the opposition to move the legislation forward.
They were joined by every House Democrat and Independent California Representative Kevin Kiley, who caucuses with the Republicans.
Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks of New York originally introduced the legislation in April 2025. After House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to schedule a vote, Meeks filed a discharge petition in July 2025 to force the bill’s advancement. The petition finally secured the necessary 218 signatures by May 13, setting up Wednesday’s vote.
If passed, the legislation would authorize $8 billion in direct military financing loans to Ukraine and extend the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2027, allowing the U.S. to transfer weapons directly from Pentagon stockpiles. It also seeks to impose a 500% tariff on Russian imports, establish a Ukraine Reconstruction Trust Fund, and expand financial restrictions on institutions dealing with Russian officials. Additionally, the bill introduces new sanctions against North Korea, Iran, and Belarus for assisting Russia’s military efforts.
The vote comes amid a stark partisan divide over foreign spending. Since the conflict began in February 2022, the U.S. has allocated roughly $188 billion in funding and emergency support for Ukraine. Polling reflects a sharp disagreement among voters; a Pew Research Center survey from February 2025 indicated that 47% of Republicans believed the U.S. was providing too much support, compared to just 14% of Democrats. Conversely, 35% of Democrats felt the U.S. was not sending enough aid. An earlier Associated Press/NORC poll found that 55% of Republicans viewed the aid as excessive, while 44% of Democrats felt it was insufficient.
Speaker Johnson reportedly lobbied against the measure behind closed doors during a weekly House Republican conference meeting on Wednesday, urging his party to vote no.
Opponents of the bill argue it undermines broader strategic goals. A House Republican aide criticized the legislation, stating, “Anyone voting for this is saying that NATO countries should be spending 2% of their GDP on national defense rather than 5%. That is the exact opposite of aiding Ukraine.”
The bill faces a steep climb to becoming law. President Donald Trump, Speaker Johnson, and other top Republicans have consistently called for an end to the war, and signals from the administration indicate the bill faces a certain veto if it reaches the president’s desk. Trump has characterized U.S. aid to Ukraine as a waste of funds and has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the conflict, indicating that congressional action could interfere with his plans to negotiate a settlement directly with Putin.
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