The House Rules Committee advanced a set of foreign aid bills late on Thursday night — with the help of Democrats who, in an unusual move, backed the procedural vote despite opposition from three staunch Republicans.
The committee voted 9-3 to approve the rule, which controls the discussion for the legislation, with Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) opposing the effort.
The successful vote permits the full House to vote on the rule and begin discussions on three foreign aid bills — providing support to Israel, Ukraine and allies in the Indo-Pacific — as well as a fourth bill that includes other national security priorities, like a TikTok ban.
Votes on rules — in committee and on the floor — are usually routine, partisan events, with members of the majority party supporting the rule and minority party members voting against it. However, with conservatives opposing the rule due to their opposition to Ukraine aid and the omission of border security measures, Democrats crossed party lines to support the procedural vote.
