Pro-Ukrainian lawmakers from both parties are working to pass key provisions for U.S. aid to Kiev by January, an aid that is under threat from the transition to the Trump administration and full Republican control of Congress. This is an effort to protect.
If enacted, the Standing with Ukraine Act would require the president to request continued military and economic support for Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia. The bill is intended to help overcome growing partisan tensions over passing additional aid packages.
The bill is bipartisan and bicameral, with representatives in the House including Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), Rep. Joe Wilson (R), Rep. Marcy Capture (D-Ohio), and Rep. Mike Quigley (R-Pa.). Proposed by the Democratic Party of Illinois. It is sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-Conn.).
House aides told The Hill that some lawmakers are working to convert the bill's provisions into amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act. The NDAA is considered a must-pass year-end bill that authorizes spending for the Department of Defense and other defense-related activities.
It is not yet clear whether lawmakers will aim to incorporate most of the provisions of the Status of Ukraine Act into one amendment, or whether they will aim to introduce several separate amendments. Other supporters of the bill said it should be brought to a single floor vote.
“Just have it. [Senate Majority Leader Chuck] Let Mr. Schumer (D.N.Y.) take it up and vote on it,” Graham told The Hill.
In any case, time is running out to ensure passage of the bill before President-elect Trump, who has publicly criticized the amount of aid the United States has provided to Ukraine, takes office. The House and Senate have three additional working weeks in December.
President Trump has promised to end the war between Russia and Ukraine and said he will bring together Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to reach a peace deal.
Although support for Ukraine remains fairly solid in the Senate, many Republicans in the House share Trump's skepticism.
Whether House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) will support consideration of a stand-alone bill, given that about half of the chamber voted against the $60 billion Ukraine relief package passed in April. is unknown. Passage of the bill could also be seen as a constraint on President Trump's future moves toward Ukraine and Russia.
“I don't expect to know anything by the end of the year,” Quigley said.
Wilson also said it would be better to wait for President Trump's return before moving on to passing the bill, but added that he would strongly move forward with the bill in the next Congress.
“It's not that this bill is bad, it's just that there will be delays once a new Congress is elected, a new president is elected, and a new majority in the United States Senate is elected,” he said. “I think it's more important and clear than ever that President Putin, a war criminal, cannot be trusted.”
But Republican attitudes are trending away from Ukraine, and that is unlikely to change in the next Congress. In April, 112 Republicans voted against the additional aid package for Ukraine, more than half of the conference. On Wednesday, 37 Republican senators voted yes. Joint resolution of disapprovalSponsored by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), aimed at forcing Ukraine to repay loans provided by the United States.
Graham and the bill's co-sponsor, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), said passing the bill could help put Ukraine in a better position to negotiate with Russia. and demonstrated bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress.
“If we negotiate, as President-elect Trump has said we should, Ukraine's position at the negotiating table would be strengthened as a result of its battlefield gains and support in Congress. I think such a measure' input from Congress could be very important,'' he said.
“I'll take any course,” he said of his preferred method of passing.
The bill itself does not authorize new funding for Ukraine. However, it directs the President to submit a budget request to Congress for the amount necessary to implement the bill's provisions.
The most important provisions of the STAND Act against Ukraine include prioritizing the deployment of air defense, artillery, long-range missiles, and armored vehicles, among other combat systems.
The bill's provisions would allow the U.S. to modernize Ukraine's security capabilities, strengthen joint military ties, prioritize the transfer of excess U.S. defense goods to Ukraine, and help expedite foreign military sales to Ukraine. It is also promised that
This draft bill is an attempt by Congress to become law. 10-year bilateral security agreement President Biden kept the deal he signed with Zelenskiy in June to prevent a potential Trump administration from backing out of its commitments.
Other provisions include treating Ukraine as a major non-NATO ally for purposes of transferring defense aid. Reauthorizes Lend-Lease to Ukraine, which allows the transfer of U.S. weapons to Ukraine and allows for repayment at a later date. and support Ukraine's reconstruction and reconstruction efforts.
U.S. aid to Ukraine is seen by supporters as essential to the country's efforts to thwart nearly three years of Russian aggression. Zelenskiy warned of the collapse of the US-European alliance, which had been kept strong under the Biden administration.
“I think this period, this moment, is about our unity in Ukraine,” Zelenskiy said in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday. “And I think it would be very dangerous if we lost the unity of Europe and, most importantly, the unity of Ukraine and the United States.”
