A procedural petition in the U.S. House of Representatives reached the 218-signature threshold on May 13, paving the way for a forced vote on legislation that would supply security assistance to Ukraine and impose tougher sanctions on Russia. The signature that put the petition over the threshold came from Representative Kevin Kiley, who changed his party registration from Republican to independent in March.
Because the petition attained the required number of endorsements, the measure is expected to come to the House floor for a vote, likely in early June. The petition is a so-called discharge petition, a mechanism that allows at least 218 members to compel consideration of a bill even if the chamber’s leadership opposes it. In this case, the petition would overcome opposition from the Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who controls the House agenda.
Two Republican members, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Don Bacon of Nebraska, had already signed the petition before Kiley added his name on Wednesday. The success of this petition marked the latest time lawmakers have used the procedure to move legislation contrary to the wishes of the chamber’s Republican leadership.
The legislation subject to the petition, introduced in April 2025 by Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is titled the Ukraine Support Act. It is structured in three parts. The first section reaffirms U.S. support for Ukraine and NATO and includes provisions intended to assist in Ukraine’s rebuilding, among them the creation of a special coordinator for Ukraine reconstruction.
The second section would authorize more than $1 billion in security assistance to Kyiv and allow for up to $8 billion more in support delivered via direct loans. The third section proposes substantial sanctions and export controls targeting Russia, covering financial institutions, oil and mining sectors, and specified Russian officials.
The move to force a vote comes amid a broader shift in congressional dynamics on aid to Ukraine. While many members from both parties have strongly backed Kyiv since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, support among some of President Donald Trump’s closest Republican allies has cooled since his return to the White House in January 2025, and aid flows to Ukraine have slowed.
On the ground, Russia and Ukraine continue to strike each other with missiles, drones and artillery, and there is no resolution of the conflict in sight. Peace talks remain stalled, and Ukraine has rejected President Vladimir Putin’s demand that it cede territory that it has defended since 2022.
Discharge petitions were once infrequently used in the House, but they have grown more consequential amid narrow Republican majorities. At present, the House composition is 217 Republicans, 212 Democrats, one independent and five vacancies. That slim margin has made it easier for bipartisan groups to gather the 218 signatures needed to bypass leadership control of the floor schedule.
Recent examples of successful discharge petitions include an April vote to extend temporary protections for roughly 350,000 Haitians living in the United States. Last year, enough members signed a petition to force a vote directing the Justice Department to release files related to deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
With the petition now certified at 218 signatures, the House is set to consider the Ukraine Support Act soon, unless the signature count changes. The outcome of the forced vote will determine whether the bill advances under the House’s rules despite the opposition of chamber leadership.