Slava Ukraini ! Heroiam Slava !

Glory to Ukraine ! Glory to the heroes !

Feathers of Hope is a network of ordinary citizens who have joined together around a shared commitment to diminishing the power and influence of MAGA extremists in the House of Representatives.

Since January, 2023, we have been urging moderate Republicans and Democrats to form a bipartisan majority voting bloc in order to conduct our nation’s legislative business, and to defend the institution from its internal enemies.

Note: This site can also be accessed by entering FeathersOfHope.net in your browser window.

** Please scroll to the bottom of this post to find contact information for Republican representatives whom we believe would support a discharge petition to get a Ukraine aid bill to the floor of the House for a vote. **

Call one, several or all of them today and urge them to join with Democrats to sign the petition and then to vote for the bill.

“Slava Ukraini!” — Battle cry of Ukrainian armed forces

With the marking of the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, and Speaker Mike Johnson’s failure to prioritize passage of a military assistance package, recent stories from the frontlines have mostly focused on shortages and losses. And it is true that the aid is desperately needed.

But it’s also true that Ukrainian forces continue to fight with the same heroic determination that inspired us all two years ago. Marshaling their ever more scarce resources, Ukrainians are far from conceding defeat.

To the contrary, despite (or perhaps because of) the fall of Avdiivka last month, the Kyiv Independent reports:

The average number of estimated Russian casualties in February was approximately 983 per day, marking an all-time high since the start of the full-scale invasion, the U.K. Defense Ministry wrote in its March 3 update.

The update appears to be citing the UK Defense Ministry's own estimation of Russian losses.

Just three weeks ago, Ukrainian military intelligence reported they’d sunk another Russian warship, the Caesar Kunikov, in the Black Sea. That brings to 25 the number of ships taken down, about a third of Russia’s once powerful Black Sea fleet, all while keeping sea lanes open for vital exports.

On March 1, Ukraine reported that 13 Russian warplanes had been shot down during the previous two weeks. These included 10 Su-34 fighter bombers, two Su-35 fighter jets, and one A-50 military spy plane. This is one of the heaviest concentrations of Russian Air Force losses since the war began.

Even as America’s Ukraine aid package is stalled in Congress, the first six of dozens of F-16 fighter jets from the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Norway are scheduled to start arriving in Ukraine by June. The first group of pilots will complete training in September. Meanwhile, President Zelensky is reaching out to other countries in the coalition assembled by President Biden for the defense of Ukraine.

On February 9, Finland approved its 22nd defense aid package to Ukraine worth around 190 million euros ($205 million), bringing their total military aid to $1.94 billion so far.

On February 26, Germany announced delivery of 14,000 155 mm shells, ten Vector reconnaissance drones with spare parts, and other weapons in their latest delivery of military aid. This is part of a new defense assistance package of 1.1 billion euros ($1.2 billion), following President Zelensky’s visit to Berlin on February 16.

And just yesterday (March 4), Mr. Zelensky’s office announced the beginning of negotiations with Spain on bilateral security guarantees under the Group of Seven (G7) Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, .

Over 30 countries have joined the declaration so far. The U.K., Germany, France, Denmark, Italy, Canada, and the Netherlands have already signed bilateral agreements with Ukraine.

Obviously, the war will continue regardless of what happens in the U.S. But without our help, chances of success will diminish over time. That’s why it’s essential to keep advocating for passage of military assistance for Ukraine in the House of Representatives.

As the chair of NATO’s Military Committee remarked on February 18, at the Munich Security Conference: “Let’s remember we are 724 days into Russia’s three-day war.”

---

All eyes are on government funding bills while MAGA extremists continue to obstruct Ukraine aid.

Last week, as the first of two deadlines for passing government funding bills approached, House Speaker Mike Johnson brought yet another Continuing Resolution (CR) to the floor for a vote. This one delays the two previous deadlines for one week and two weeks respectively, presumably to allow time for the bills themselves to pass.

On Sunday, a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders released the text of six full-year spending bills to be passed by Friday. “Full-year” in this context means fiscal year 2024, which began last October 1 — five months ago.

To no one’s surprise, the details of these bills closely approximate those in the appropriation bills that passed (with bipartisan majorities) out of Committee in the Senate last September. These in turn reflect the parameters agreed to last June during negotiations between former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden. That agreement (which ended the so-called “debt ceiling crisis”) was codified in the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) of 2023.

In other words, substantively we are in exactly the same place today as we were five months ago. The only difference is that this time, the 12 essential appropriation bills are likely to be passed by both the House and Senate. Speaker Johnson seems poised to “suspend the rules” in order to bring these bills to the floor for a vote before the new deadlines.

Suspension of the rules is a parliamentary procedure requiring an affirmative vote by two-thirds of House Members. That is, it will require a substantial number of Democrats as well as Republicans to vote in favor. Consequently, we can expect media attention this week to be focused on the process of passing what would ordinarily be routine government-funding legislation, then on Super Tuesday primary elections and on President Biden’s State of the Union address Thursday.

---

Meanwhile, the National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act (HR 815), commonly known as the Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan Aid Package, remains on the sidelines for the third week since its passage in the Senate by a 70-29 majority.

Like the spending bills, the Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan Aid Package could be brought to the floor immediately with a rules suspension. If Speaker Johnson were to recognize the urgency of delivering military assistance to Ukraine, the Aid Package could be voted on and sent to the President for his signature in a matter of hours.

However, despite his repeated assurances that the United States must stand by Ukraine, Mr. Johnson appears to be in no hurry to make that happen. Bowing to pressure from Donald Trump and MAGA extremists, he continues to use the appropriations process as a means of both delaying passage of Ukraine aid, and distracting the media’s attention while doing so.

The Ukraine Aid package can be brought to the floor with a Discharge Petition.

A discharge petition also bypasses the Rules Committee, but requires only a simple 51% majority vote. Several Representatives, both Republican and Democratic, have already expressed their support for doing this.

There are at least two different aid bills that could be brought to the floor this way. One is the combined Ukraine, Israel & Taiwan bill (National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act - HR 815) which has already passed the Senate. If brought to the floor and passed it would go directly to the President for his signature.

The other is the “Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act”, introduced by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). This stripped-down version of HR 815 substantially reduces the total amount of aid in the package; in Ukraine’s case from $60 billion to $48 billion, and is limited to defense-only military aid. It also would restore some of the border entry restrictions favored by Republicans, which sponsors hoped would meet one of Speaker Johnson’s ever-shifting demands. While doubtless well-intentioned, this seems more like a symbolic attempt at bipartisanship rather than a serious legislative move.

As discussed in our last post, Gaza War Puts Ukraine At Risk , the ideal solution would be to separate the Ukraine portion of the Senate-passed HR 815 and pass it as a stand-alone bill. But as time passes that seems less likely to happen.

Everyone reading this can help the heroes of Ukraine.

By once more calling the Representatives listed below, urging that they sign a discharge petition now, we are giving voice to what an overwhelming majority of Americans support: immediate delivery of military assistance to Ukrainians courageously resisting Russia’s brutal attacks on their homeland.

Simultaneously, we are defending the House of Representatives itself — confronting the obstruction of MAGA extremists and their attempt to disrupt the workings of our democratic republic.

Please call your own Representative in Congress today. Urge them to sign the discharge petition for Ukraine aid. If you don’t know their office phone number, you can call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

Also, please call the office of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA): (202) 225-4000. Remind him that Ukraine is fast running out of resources and needs our assistance immediately. Bring the Ukraine aid bill to the floor now.

Following are the names and phone numbers of several Republican representatives whom we believe may support a discharge petition to get a Ukraine aid bill to the floor of the House for a vote.

Call one, several or all of them today and urge them to join with Democrats to sign the petition now, and then to vote for the bill.

1. Don Bacon (R-NE): (202) 225-4155 D.C. or (402) 938-0300 District

2. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA): (202) 225-4276 D.C. or (215) 579-8102 District

3. Mike Gallagher (R-WI): (202) 225-5665 D.C. or (920) 301-4500 District

4. David Joyce (R- OH): (202) 225-5731 D.C. or (440) 352-3939 District

5. John Curtis (R-UT): (202) 225-7751 D.C. or (801) 922-5400 District

6. Ashley Hinson (R-IA): (202) 225-2911 D.C. or (319) 364-2288 District

7. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) : (202) 225-7896 D.C. or (631) 541-4225 District

8. Dan Newhouse (R-WA): (202) 225-5816 D.C. or (509) 452-3243 District

(The following members represent districts carried by President Biden in 2020)

• David Schweikert (R-AZ): (202) 225-2190 D.C. or (480) 946-2411 District

• Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ): (202) 225-2542 D.C. or (520) 459-3115 District

• John Duarte (R-CA): (202) 225-1947 D.C. or (209)-226-6880 District

• David Valadao (R-CA): (202) 225-4695 D.C. or (661) 864-7736 District

• Mike Garcia (R-CA): (202) 225-1956 D.C. or (661) 839-0532 District

• Young Kim (R-CA): (202) 225-4111 D.C. or (714) 984-2440 District

• Michelle Steel (R-CA): (202) 225-2415 D.C. or (714) 960-6483 District

• Tom Kean (R-NJ): (202) 225-5361 D.C. or (908) 547-3307 District

• Nick LaLota (R-NY): (202) 225-3826 D.C. or (631) 289-1097 District

• Anhony D’Esposito (R-NY): (202) 225-5516 D.C. or (516) 739-3008 District

• Mike Lawler (R-NY): (202) 225-6506 D.C. or 845 743-7130 District

• Marc Molinaro (R-NY): (202) 225-5441 D.C. or (607) 242-0200 District

• Brandon Williams (R-NY): (202) 225-3701 D.C. or (315) 233-4333 District

• Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR): (202) 225-5711 D.C. or (541) 604-3141 District

• Jen Kiggans (R-VA): (202) 225-4215 D.C. or (757) 364-7650 District

  This is a network of ordinary citizens. In a democracy, we exercise our power by raising our voices. To be silent is to be powerless.