On Friday, House aides revealed that Democrats in the House of Representatives are planning to bypass Republican Speaker Mike Johnson and push for a vote on a $95 billion security aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. They have started setting the foundation for this potential bid.

Democratic Representative Jim McGovern, who holds the highest position on the House Rules Committee, introduced a bill on February 15 that could potentially be utilized as a means for a discharge petition. This procedural tactic is rarely employed but has the potential to compel a vote on the bill if at least 218 out of the 435 voting members of the House sign it.

According to the rules of the House, those in support of Ukraine could start gathering signatures for the petition by approximately March 1st.

Several months after President Joe Biden, a member of the Democratic party, requested Congress to authorize more foreign security aid, the Senate voted last week to approve the package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan, as well as to replenish the supply of U.S. weapons. The vote was 70-30 in favor, with 22 Republicans joining the majority of Democrats in voting “yes.”

However, Johnson, who was a strong supporter of former Republican President Donald Trump and had previously voted against providing aid to Ukraine, chose not to bring the measure up for a vote before adjourning the House for a two-week break. This decision left the aid in a state of uncertainty as the conflict in Ukraine approached its second year.

Trump, the front-runner to be his party’s 2024 presidential nominee, has opposed aid to Kyiv.

At the February 14 party meeting, Johnson stated that House Republicans would not automatically approve the Senate bill. The leaders of the party are currently discussing options such as creating new bills, making changes to the Senate legislation, or breaking it into smaller parts.

The Democrats in the House are contemplating using a less common method called “defeating the previous question” to potentially gain control of the House floor during specific votes related to Ukraine.

The specific amount required is uncertain, as it would only need a simple majority of members who are present and voting.

Currently, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has stated that he is considering all possible legislative options.