House Republicans supporting Ukraine WILL force a floor vote on aid….
Democrats have indicated they will support the vote and the Republican Speaker if RightWingNuts in the House go after him, voting wise…
UPDATE….
Democrats will NOT support the Republican House discharge effort that has amendments that the Democratic supported US Senate Bill DOES NOT….
The fighting goes on between Russiann and Ukraine forces, with Russian units trying to mount breakout offensive drives…
Ukraine keeps shooting down Russian military aircraft even before they get their first F-16 fighter jets…
NATO members ….Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Romania are are sending Ukraine arms….
2nd UPDATE…
More on the CONTINUAL flow of arms and equipment under the radar ..
In November, the Pentagon announced that it had committed all $18.9 billion available under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative—i.e., officials had decided what kinds of weapons and other aid to buy with the money. But more than one-third of the amount has not yet been awarded to the companies that will provide the materiel.
As of Jan. 15, 2023, the Pentagon has issued contracts for $12.3 billion of the total, according to a Pentagon press release. Shells account for the highest spending categories within USAI, with $1.7 billion spent on 155mm shells and $756 million on other forms of ammunition.
The unspent funds and continuing contracts to U.S. arms dealers suggest that, even as Ukraine experiences a severe lack of munitions, some U.S. military support is still flowing to the war torn country.
Cancian calculates that at least some U.S. military aid deliveries will continue until at least October 2024 due to production timelines.
Those deliveries, however, will not be enough to defend Ukraine adequately. Cancian wrote that Ukraine’s army, which is already severely short of munitions, will struggle to counter-attack Russian forces by early spring, and by early summer will struggle to hold back Russian forces.
Russia, absent further U.S. aid, would then likely break through Ukrainian defenses and make major territorial gains, possibly leading to the “complete collapse” of Ukraine’s government…..
A pro-Ukraine House Republican is preparing an effort to go around House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to get aid to Ukraine passed.
Why it matters: It’s a rare break with House GOP leadership, which has resisted holding a Ukraine aid vote due to strong opposition from the right.
- “We have to get something done,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, who is leading the push.
- “It’s existential, it’s time sensitive. Whether that’s our product or somebody else’s, we’ve just got to get the money out the door to them,” he said.
What’s happening: Fitzpatrick told reporters he is preparing what is known as a discharge petition, which can force a House vote if it gets 218 signatures.
- Such a petition would therefore require support from a handful of Republicans, assuming it gets signatures from most House Democrats.
- The maneuver also requires a certain amount of time – 30 days in which the House is in session – before it can be forced to the floor.
What he’s saying: Fitzpatrick said the petition will be ready for signatures by early March and signaled he expects it to garner some Republican signatures.
- Asked about the depth of Republican support, he told reporters, “more than you think … a lot of people who know it’s the right thing to do.”
- One House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Axios they will sign on “if [there’s] no other progress.”
- But Fitzpatrick also stressed that the discharge petition mainly serves to “apply a pressure point to get something done soon.”….