A new round of military aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia passed the House on Thursday, dealing a new blow to President Donald Trump’s foreign policy from Capitol Hill.
The measure passed despite opposition from Republican leaders, with 18 GOP lawmakers backing Democrats in a 226-195 vote.
It’s a strong show of support for Kyiv and the first time a separate aid package has passed either chamber during Trump’s second term. Some Republicans have opposed funding for Ukraine, especially since the president has opposed major aid packages and pushed for talks to end the war, which is now in its fifth year.
The bill – which would doprovide security assistance of 1.3 billion dollarsto Kyiv and expanding the range of sanctions against Moscow – is the latest rebuke of the Trump administration’s national security policy,oil in partsand members of the president’s own party.
The House on Wednesday voted to end the Iran war with four GOP members supporting the effort, marking the first time that House Republicans have failed to toe the line of Trump’s authority on the military conflict. And the House Armed Services Committee is expected to advance defense legislation Thursday that would block the reduction of American troops in Europe.
Union of two parliamentary parties 218forced to vote on the law– written by ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory Meeks – through the impeachment petition initiated by the New York Democratic Party almost a year ago. That maneuver allows a majority of the House to advance bills that have not reached the floor through normal channels. His success meant that Speaker Mike Johnson could no longer block long-sought action on Ukraine aid or Russia sanctions.
Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, the Republican who broke the party to force the vote, urged his fellow Republicans to “stand on the right side” of history. “This is our time for Churchill or our time for Chamberlain, and by God I will choose Churchill,” Bacon said before voting on the floor of Parliament.
The effort has been a model in the GOP conference, and Johnsonasking members to oppose the lawin a closed party meeting this week. The vote was “not a show of Congressional support for Ukraine,” Johnson said after the vote, calling the bill “poorly drafted.”
However, many pro-Ukraine Republicans opposed the Democratic-led bill, wanting to avoid a political black eye for Republican leaders and Trump. But GOP support grew Wednesday from just a half-dozen lawmakers who helped Democrats advance the bill.
Representative Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), one of the Republicans who supported the final bill, said “the main goals of the law … were in the best interest of America.”
“We need to stand with Ukraine against Russian aggression,” Hurd said. “Putin is a dictator. What they are doing is wrong.”
Independent Kevin Kiley of California also supported the measure. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) was the only Democrat to oppose it.
Republicans and Democrats have, in recent months, accused the Trump administration of not seeking funding to help Ukraine and not quickly spending congressional funds allocated this year for security assistance to Kyiv or Baltic allies.
But the move faces long odds of making it to Trump’s desk. The Senate has rejected efforts to vote on its Russia sanctions package, despite more than 80 senators signing on as cosponsors.
Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report.
