18 House Republicans Broke With Trump on Ukraine - Democrats Could Not Be Happier
By Ben Smith | 6:50 AM on June 05, 2026
Eighteen House Republicans handed Democrats a gift Thursday, crossing over to pass a Ukraine aid bill that the White House has already promised Trump will veto. They did it knowing full well he would.
The final vote was 226-195. Independent Rep. Kevin Kiley (CA-06), who caucuses with Republicans, also voted yes. Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) was the only Democrat to vote no. The bill now goes to the Senate, where Republican leadership has not scheduled a vote on Ukraine aid and has been waiting for Trump's direction before moving on Russia sanctions. It is going nowhere.
The Ukraine Support Act would authorize more than $1 billion in direct assistance to Ukraine, up to $8 billion in loans, and new sanctions and export controls on Russia's financial, oil, and mining sectors.
The bill reached the floor via a discharge petition, which forces a vote when 218 members sign on and bypasses the Speaker entirely. Kiley, and Republican Reps. Don Bacon (NE-02) and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) signed with Democrats to trigger the vote over Speaker Mike Johnson's (LA-04) objections.
Before a single vote was cast, the White House made Trump's position explicit. The bill would "tie the President's hands by mandating a wide-ranging U.S. response to the Russia-Ukraine war while adding hundreds of millions in unfunded authorizations." The mandatory sanctions, the administration warned, could "plunge the global economy into chaos." None of that stopped 18 Republicans from voting yes.
Republicans who voted against the bill did not mince words.
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https://redstate.com/ben-smith/2026/06/05/eighteen-republicans-broke-with-trump-on-ukraine-democrats-could-not-be-happier-n2203062
