95 House Democrats Vote With GOP to Honor Charlie Kirk

A majority of House Democrats joined their GOP colleagues in supporting a resolution to honor the late conservative influencer Charlie Kirk and condemn his murder while speaking at an event in Utah on Sept. 10.

Kirk, 31, was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University while answering an attendee’s questions as part of his “American Comeback” tour. He is survived by his wife, Erika Kirk, and their two young children. His funeral is scheduled for Sept. 21.

The resolution stated that Kirk “was a devoted Christian, who boldly lived out his faith with conviction, courage, and compassion,” and “a dedicated husband,” and “a loving father to their daughter and son, exemplifying the virtues of faith, fidelity, and fatherhood.”

Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 with businessman Bill Montgomery, with a goal of promoting conservative values by appealing to young people. Its mission statement is to “identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.”

The bill honored Kirk by portraying him as a free-speech champion who “worked tirelessly to promote unity” and engaged in “respectful, civil discourse.” It further condemned political violence more broadly and called on Americans to “recommit to respectful debate.”

Democrats unsupportive of the bill said the portrayal of Kirk is what they took issue with, not the violence condemnation.

“If this resolution were to simply condemn Charlie Kirk’s murder, it would have had my vote,” Bishop said. “Unfortunately, it was an attempt to use this tragedy as an opportunity to lionize his beliefs. While he was entitled to have and express his beliefs freely, some of them are offensive to me and to the many people targeted by his invective and vitriol. They do not reflect the highest and noblest values of America, nor my Judeo-Christian faith, and I cannot condone them.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York said in a statement that she condemned the depravity of Kirk’s “brutal murder.”

“We can disagree with Charlie and come together as a country to denounce the horror of killing,” she said. “That is a bedrock American value. It then only underscores the majority’s recklessness and intent to divide by choosing to introduce this resolution on a purely partisan basis, instead of uniting Congress in this tragedy with one of the many bipartisan options to condemn political violence and Kirk’s murder, as we did with the late Melissa Hortman. Instead, the majority proceeded with a resolution that brings great pain to the millions of Americans who endured segregation, Jim Crow, and the legacy of that bigotry today.”

“We continue to pray for Mr. Kirk’s family and loved ones in the wake of this terrible act,” she added. “I’m thinking especially of his children and his wife, whose grief cannot be measured.”

The final vote total was 310–58. Most members of the GOP voted yes on the measure—though four were not present. They were Mike Collins, Georgia; Elijah Crane, Arizona; Rick Crawford, Arkansas; and Derek Schmidt, Kansas.

A total of 58 Democrats opposed the resolution, 38 voted present, and 22 did not vote.

A list of how members of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives voted follows: