Democrats in the Republican-led House of Representatives are reportedly planning to pursue a discharge petition maneuver to force the bipartisan foreign aid bill to the House floor for a vote.
The Senate passed a $95.3 billion foreign aid bill with assistance for Ukraine and Israel in a 70-29 vote early Tuesday morning.
However, the legislation faces an uncertain future in the House where several Republicans have come out against it and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has suggested he will not bring the legislation up for a vote in the chamber.
The foreign aid package includes $60 billion to support Ukraine, $14.1 billion in security assistance for Israel and U.S. military operations in the region, $9.2 billion in humanitarian assistance to provide food, water, shelter and medical care to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, Ukraine and others caught in war zones around the world and $8 billion to support regional partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Some Democrats are now saying a discharge petition could be introduced to bring the bill up for a vote in the House if Johnson refuses to introduce it.
“Our leader, Hakeem Jeffries, said he has not ruled out using a discharge petition, which is a parliamentary maneuver to try and bring a bill to the floor,” former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) said.
“If Speaker Johnson won’t bring this critical aid package to the floor, I stand ready to sign a discharge petition to get the job done. The world is watching,” Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) wrote on X/Twitter.
A discharge petition is a legislative maneuver that allows lawmakers to bypass regular procedures in the House. It would require the support of 218 members, including at least four Republicans.
