Republican Brian Fitzpatrick may begin collecting signatures on March 8 to force a vote on a bill to help Ukraine bypass House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has so far refused to bring the military aid bill to a vote, Voice of America reports. Independent Kyiv.

House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to bring the Senate-passed aid funding bill to Ukraine and the Gaza Strip to a vote, despite pressure from the White House and other members of Congress.

Mike Johnson told reporters at the White House that he believed Congress “needs to take care of America’s needs first,” meaning immigration and foreign aid second.

Republican Brian Fitzpatrick said he would continue to work with Johnson’s office to organize a vote through normal channels, but would begin gathering signatures to bypass him if he did not comply.

CBS News

note that this is an option that involves a rarely successful legislative maneuver that allows a majority of members to carry the bill.

In the House of Representatives, the Speaker usually works with the leaders to set the agenda and decide which bills or resolutions to vote on or not.

The petition is one of the tools US lawmakers can use to advance a $95 billion foreign aid bill that would provide $60 billion to Kyiv.

The petition needs at least 218 signatures to be put on the ballot, meaning it needs support from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

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“If the House of Representatives cannot reach consensus on the bill that must be introduced, the alternative for Ukraine is to collapse and our border will remain open,” Fitzpatrick said during a March 6 congressional briefing.