Bipartisan group pitches border-Ukraine bill as ‘pressure point’ on GOP leaders

A bipartisan group of House members is stepping up their calls for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) to vote on a bill that would link foreign military aid to domestic border security, a combination that It frames what it says is the only recipe for gaining support for a deeply divided Ukraine. meeting.

The bill’s lead sponsor, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), said he is working directly with Johnson’s office to get the bill to the House floor through normal channels. Ta. But if the speaker refuses to comply, the bill’s supporters will begin the process of gathering signatures on a procedural tool called an expulsion petition as early as this week to force a vote on the bill. Become.

“If the House cannot reach an agreement on the bill that will be tabled, there is no option for Ukraine to fail and the borders to remain open. We cannot allow that to happen,” Fitz said. Patrick spoke at a news conference at the Capitol on Wednesday morning. “So this is not a workaround for anyone or any post. This is a pressure point to apply pressure and try to force something to the floor.”

The effort is not that great. Expulsion petitions are rarely successful, the last time being in 2015, with party leaders on both sides of the aisle setting up early roadblocks.

Former President Trump, for example, opposed any new aid to Ukraine or border security measures before the November election, a position popular among House conservatives. And some House Democratic leaders have already rejected Mr. Fitzpatrick’s policy blueprint and supported a bipartisan Senate-passed bill that would provide foreign aid without border language.

Still, Fitzpatrick and other supporters of the Ukraine border package argue that this is Congress’ last best chance to get aid to Kiev to President Biden’s desk this year.

“Defending the borders of our foreign allies but not our own borders is an argument that is unsustainable in both the short and long term,” Fitzpatrick said, pointing to the central hurdle the Senate bill faces. emphasized.

Fitzpatrick said his release petition is due on Friday, and that lawmakers could start supporting it and get the 218 signatures needed to force the bill to a vote. I’m very confident.”

His petition was aimed at getting the bill out of the House Rules Committee, where conservatives would likely block it. It allows for one comprehensive “alternative” amendment that would give lawmakers from both parties the power to make some significant changes before a final vote.

For example, Fitzpatrick acknowledged that most Democrats would not support the proposal as it stands because it does not include humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Republicans, on the other hand, said they are likely to push for additional funding to give Border Patrol agents: Increased powers to carry out immigrant deportations.

“This is a bare-bones version of where the crux of the insurrection between Democrats and Republicans is,” he said. “This is not the final bill text.”

Behind Mr. Fitzpatrick and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), the bipartisan group introduced a legislative package last month as an alternative approach to the Senate-passed bill, which centered on aid to Ukraine, Israel and Gaza. However, it did not include provisions to strengthen the United States’ borders. .

The Senate bill had the support of 22 Republicans, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), but within the Republican Party, appetite for further aid to Ukraine has waned in the two years since the Russian invasion. Mr. Trump has been at the forefront of this. He opposes any new aid before the November election.

President Trump’s position is embraced by many House conservatives, who either oppose aid to Ukraine outright or won’t support it without accompanying provisions to strengthen security at the U.S.-Mexico border. .

Johnson has so far sided with conservatives, refusing to consider the Senate-passed bill while continuing to push for tougher border measures contained in HR2, the Republican immigration bill passed by the House of Commons last year. The bill was a dud. Democratic Party.

Mr. Fitzpatrick said he has spoken directly with both Mr. Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York about his intentions for the discharge petition. But conservatives aren’t the only obstacles he faces as he seeks support for his discharge petition.

Liberals are alarmed by the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza, and some even oppose the Senate bill on the grounds that it would provide more weapons to Israel. Other Democrats, particularly those in the Hispanic caucus, are likely to balk at tightening border rules, especially the “Remain in Mexico” provision previously adopted under the Trump administration.

Last week, Rep. Pete Aguilar (Calif.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, rejected the Ukraine border proposal, arguing that a solution to the impasse had already been sent from the Senate.

“The solution is incredibly clear. This is a bipartisan solution that will get 70 votes in the United States Senate,” Aguilar said.

But the highest barrier to aid for Ukraine remains President Trump and House conservatives, who are pushing Johnson to oppose any foreign aid plan before Trump could potentially return to the White House. There is. It’s a dynamic not lost on Fitzpatrick and other supporters of the Ukraine border package.

“I think he wants to say yes here,” Fitzpatrick said. “He’s in a very tough position politically in our conference. It’s no secret, you guys write about it every day, and it’s true.

“He’s in a tough political situation.”