Three centrists join House Dems to force a vote on sending $1.3 billion to Ukraine

Two House Republicans and one independent are joining every single Democrat to force Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) into holding a vote on legislation sending $1.3 billion in aid to Ukraine and instituting new sanctions on Russia.

Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Kevin Kiley (I-CA) joined Democrats to reach the 218-signature threshold needed for a discharge petition. The parliamentary procedure bypasses the committee process and forces legislation directly to the floor for a vote.

Kiley, an independent who caucuses with Republicans, said he was convinced to support the maneuver because “the collapse of the recent ceasefire shows that leverage is needed for diplomacy to succeed.

“Congress can act now, in a bipartisan way, to strengthen that leverage and advance a durable peace that protects the interests of the United States and our allies,” Kiley wrote in a statement. “We must also send a strong message that Russian support for