Eighteen House Republicans defied party leadership by voting with Democrats on Thursday to approve another Ukraine aid bill.
Passed by a 296-195 vote, the Ukraine aid bill would “provide $1.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine, authorize $8 billion in arms sales, and extend a Biden-era military lend-lease program” if signed into law by President Donald Trump, according to Time magazine.
It’d also impose new oil and gas sanctions against Russia at a time when U.S. gas prices are through the roof because of the Iran War.
The Ukraine Support Act (H.R. 2913) HAS PASSED — 226 in favor, 195 against. 18 republicans supported the bill!
The bill received more than the simple majority required for passage in the House. pic.twitter.com/9WH6LDFmum
— Kateryna Lisunova (@KaterynaLis) June 5, 2026
According to CNN, House Speaker Mike Johnson “urged his members to oppose the measure” during a closed-door Wednesday meeting, arguing that they needed to give the president enough space to negotiate with Russia.
And according to The Hill, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise maintained that the bill “ignores really constructive bipartisan negotiations going on right now to put tougher sanctions on Russia.”
In a formal statement to Fox News, the White House mentioned some of these same concerns.
“The bill seeks to 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 statement reads.
The White House also warned that the bill’s mandatory sanctions against Russia would “plunge the global economy into chaos.”
Despite this, the 18 Republicans who voted with Democrats would like the public to believe they didn’t just defy the president.
“President Trump has been the leader to support the people of Ukraine, and so I’ll be voting for the people of Ukraine, continuing the Trump tradition of support,” Rep. Joe Wilson told Fox News.
When asked about the GOP leadership’s opposition to the bill, Wilson said, “Putin needs to know that the American people stand with the brave and courageous people of Ukraine.”
Wilson is the same Republican who famously yelled “you lie” during then-President Barack Hussein Obama’s 2009 address to Congress.
Ol Joe Wilson went from “You Lie!”
to yes I’ll Buy, More War for the Military Industrial Complex.— Rob Dew (@DewsNewz) June 5, 2026
Rep. Don Bacon also defended his yes vote.
“This is our Churchill moment or our Chamberlain moment,” he said. “By God, I want to choose Churchill, and this House better choose Churchill.”
Meanwhile, some of the Republicans who voted against the bill suggested to Fox News that they still support Ukraine.
“This bill is not about helping Ukraine. This is not about standing up to Vladimir Putin,” Rep. Randy Fine said. “This is about engaging in Trump Derangement Syndrome as President Trump tries to bring this [conflict] in for a landing.”
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, who also voted against the bill, argued that it was poorly drafted, pointing to a provision that calls on NATO countries to up their defense spending to two percent of their economic output. The problem, he noted was that the president already secured a five percent commitment from them last year.
“This bill literally moves us backwards, and a decrease of NATO defense member spending would be the result,” he said.
Rep. Keith Self, another opponent, made the case that the bill would tie the president’s hands.
“It’s increasingly obvious that this [war] will end, and when it ends, it will be through negotiation,” he said. “If you support this bill, then clearly you are not interested in peace, because the consequences would tie the hands of this president and could lead to future hostilities that would bleed over into Europe.”
Democrats, for their part, celebrated the 18 turncoat Republicans siding with them.
“Democrats have repeatedly governed in the minority as if we were in the majority, and we’re going to do so again this week,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said on Tuesday, mocking his GOP counterparts.
The bill passed Thursday marked the first Ukraine aid bill to be passed by the House since President Trump assumed office in 2025.
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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