WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is on course to pass legislation that would aid Ukraine and sanction key segments of the Russian economy despite opposition from Republican leaders who warn the bill will undermine negotiations designed to achieve a comparable but stronger result.
The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., seeks to cement U.S. assistance for Ukraine by providing more than $1 billion in security and reconstruction aid. It would
make another $8 billion available for Ukraine's defense through loans.
The vote could generate the second major foreign policy break this week in the House with President Donald Trump. It comes one day after the House for the first time approved a war powers resolution aimed at halting the U.S. military action against Iran.
Supporters were able to force action on the Ukraine bill by gathering 218 signatures on a discharge petition, a legislative tool that allows a majority of the House to effectively bypass leadership.
Once rarely successful, House members have used the petition tool this Congress to pass bills on releasing the government's files on Jeffrey Epstein and to extend health care subsidies to many of those who get health coverage through the Affordable Care Act, though the latter measure faltered in the Senate.
The first test vote on the Ukraine bill occurred Wednesday evening and supporters were able to advance the measure by a margin of 218-204. Six Republicans and an independent joined with every Democrat in supporting it.
Meeks said the vote is important so that the people of Ukraine know “that the United States of America is not going turn its back on them, that the people of Ukraine know that we will stand with them against Russia.”
“We can’t let them down,” Meeks said.
Supporters are hopeful that the House's passage of the Ukraine bill would put pressure on the Senate to do the same. But they also know that the Senate likely won't go along unless Trump gives the bill his endorsement.
“It's probably not going to get 60 votes in the Senate, but it's going to hopefully force the Senate to address the issue," said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., who signed the discharge petition and voted to advance the bill. “It's going to send a great message to the soldiers of Ukraine.”
He said the vote would also send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “we do have a pulse here, that we do care about Ukraine and that we are going to utilize our authority to help them.”
As the war has dragged on, it's gotten more difficult for supporters of Ukraine in Congress to provide additional financial support to help Ukraine defend itself.
The U.S. has approved some $195 billion for the Ukraine response, according to the latest quarterly inspector general report for Operation Atlantic Resolve, with roughly a quarter of that going to replenish weapons stockpiles for the U.S. military. The last major legislation designed to bolster the Ukraine response occurred in April 2024, though modest amounts have since been included in annual appropriations bills.
Republican leaders have urged their members to oppose the legislation. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said there are good-faith negotiations between members of Congress and the White House to boost Ukraine. He described the negotiations as complicated.
“I think they are going to yield positive results, but you set that back if you pass legislation that doesn't go as far as the negotiations are going,” Scalise said.
The war that followed Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor is more than four years old, with no end in sight. In recent days, both sides have sought an edge by launching long-range missile strikes.
U.S.-led peace efforts have fizzled out as the sides made no progress on key differences and after the war in Iran grabbed Washington’s attention. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by Trump but Putin refused.
Action in the Senate on Ukraine has revolved around a bill that would impose sweeping tariffs and secondary sanctions on countries that purchase Russia’s oil, gas, uranium and other exports, which are crucial to financing Russia’s military. But the bill has languished.
___
Associated Press congressional correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.
