Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), co-chairman of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, has initiated preparations for a discharge petition to force a House vote on Ukraine war funding. The petition must receive 218 signatures to proceed. Democratic Representative Bill Pascrell of New Jersey has already expressed a willingness to add his signature to the legislative maneuver.
The Pennsylvania Congressman will likely need support from several dozen support from Republicans. Democrat members of the House Progressive Caucus have signaled they will not support a discharge petition. Fitzpatrick remained uncertain about which funding proposal the discharge petition would be linked to, stating, “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.”
Meanwhile, the Senate has already approved a $95 billion foreign aid bill, comprising approximately $61 billion for Ukraine, while the remaining appropriations are allocated to Israel, Taiwan, and humanitarian for Palestinians in Gaza. The Senate supplemental funding bill has stalled out in the House. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), facing pressure from House conservatives, has refused to bring the bill to the floor for a vote.
Reps. Fitzpatrick and Jared Golden (D-ME) have introduced their own bipartisan funding plan for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. The legislation would appropriate $66 billion for foreign aid earmarked for those nations. It would also provide some funding for U.S. border security.
