Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) declared on Friday his intention to eliminate funding designated for Ukraine from a Pentagon spending bill.
This decision came after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) aligned with conservative members to obstruct the advancement of the legislation earlier this week.
McCarthy stated that he would extract the $300 million allocated for Ukraine from the Pentagon appropriations bill and arrange a separate vote specifically for this funding.
“It would be out and voted on by itself,” McCarthy said.
The Speaker’s declaration comes in the wake of a coalition of five conservative lawmakers who opposed a procedural vote related to the Pentagon appropriations bill, effectively stalling the progress of the legislation. Remarkably, this marked the second time this week that hardline conservatives prevented the funding bill from advancing.
Typically, votes on legislative rules, which govern the debate surrounding bills, follow a predictable partisan pattern, with the majority voting “yes” and the minority voting “no.” The failure of rules on the floor is an uncommon occurrence.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a close ally of Speaker McCarthy, was among the Republicans who voted against the rule on Thursday, citing her objection to its funding of the Ukraine conflict. This marked a