A pro-Ukraine Republican in the US House of Representatives, Brian Fitzpatrick, is preparing to bypass House Speaker Mike Johnson to get the assistance bill for Ukraine approved.
The congressman is preparing a so-called discharge petition that allows the issue to be put to a vote, bypassing committees, and the speaker. A discharge petition requires the signatures of a simple member majority of the House of Representatives (218).
However, this maneuver requires the House of Representatives to be in session for 30 days before the petition can be put to a vote. Fitzpatrick said the petition would be ready for signatures in early March and clarified that he expected some Republicans to sign. One House Republican said they would sign it “if there is no other progress.”
At the same time, Fitzpatrick emphasized that the petition is necessary to “press for the sake of speeding up the process.” Also, he has yet to decide which version of aid for Ukraine he will try to bring up for consideration.