Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R– Pa., left, told reporters he is preparing a discharge petition to force a vote on Ukraine aid if House Speaker Mike Johnson does not act soon.
Before it can be activated, however, the measure must sit in the House Rules Committee untouched for seven days.
"All this is doing is adding a pressure point on something that's very time-sensitive to at least have a backstop in place. So, if nobody can come to a conclusion as to what to put on the floor, if somebody's afraid to put something on the floor, then we're ready to go," Fitzpatrick told Fox News Digital.
He led a bipartisan bill earlier this month aimed at providing roughly $66 billion in military-only aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, which would also institute strict border measures like the Trump administration's "Remain In Mexico" policy.
SENDING EUROPEAN TROOPS TO UKRAINE REMAINS AN OPTION, SAYS FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON
The bill was introduced after a larger $118 billion border policy and foreign aid package failed in the Senate amid Republican protests that it did not go far enough to solve the migrant crisis.
Since then, lawmakers in both the House and Senate have urged Johnson to hold a vote on some form of Ukraine aid, citing Kyiv’s recent losses in the war against Russia amid a shortage of ammunition and personnel. They have argued that helping Ukraine defeat Russian President Vladimir Putin now would prevent a wider European conflict – one that could possibly involve the U.S. in a direct conflict with Moscow.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital he thinks House Speaker Mike Johnson could put a Ukraine aid bill on the floor. (Getty Images)
"We continue to stand with them to provide lethal support, but also the appropriate oversight, and hopefully we can get to an agreement that does that and secures our border. I think the speaker understands that there is significant interest in getting such a deal done," Molinaro said.
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House Freedom Caucus Policy Chair Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, was pessimistic about the move.
"I think the speaker is inclined to want to put Ukraine on the floor anyway," Roy said. "So, discharge petition or not, what's going to happen is, we're going to bust the [spending] caps, we're going to spend more money, we're not going to secure the border. Ukraine is going to get funded. And the American people are going to be wondering what the hell the difference is between the two parties."
Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson’s office for comment. Calls were not returned at press time.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/top-house-republican-prepares-end-run-johnson-ukraine-aid