House Democrats and centrist Republicans in Congress are currently engaged in a high-stakes battle over providing wartime aid to Ukraine. The Democrats are rallying support for a discharge petition to bring the Senate’s $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan to a vote. However, centrist Republicans are pushing for a smaller package of $66 billion, with a focus on military aid and border security provisions.
Speaker Mike Johnson has been reluctant to take up the Senate-passed package, instead insisting on including policy changes at the U.S.-Mexico border. This has caused frustration among lawmakers, as Ukrainian soldiers are facing ammunition shortages due to cut-off U.S. supplies.
Progressives are hesitant to support the Democratic-backed petition due to the inclusion of military aid for Israel. Meanwhile, a group of centrist Republicans led by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick is gathering signatures for their own discharge petition, which would provide $48 billion for Ukraine, mainly for ammunition and weaponry.
House Republicans are crafting their own version of a foreign aid package that would solely focus on military aid for Ukraine. Speaker Johnson is under pressure from within his own party to address the aid issue, but he has yet to outline a clear plan.
The use of a discharge petition is a rare and difficult process, with the last successful attempt dating back to 2015 for the U.S. Export-Import Bank. It remains to be seen whether Democrats and centrist Republicans can come to a consensus on the aid package for Ukraine in the current political climate.
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