WASHINGTON, D.C. (LifeSiteNews) – The U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution on Friday despite opposition from Democrats to designate October 14 as National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk after the U.S. Senate voted unanimously a day earlier to honor the slain conservative influencer.
Republican U.S. Rep. Jimmy Patronis of Florida introduced the resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives, where it passed but with only 95 Democrat votes of support. Thirty-eight voted “present,” 58 voted no, and 22 abstained from voting, with the last group including former Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Kirk, the head of campus outreach group Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on September 10 while speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. Two days later, authorities apprehended and accused 22-year-old Robinson of the shooting and detailed how he was motivated by his view of Kirk as “hateful.” Robinson was in a romantic relationship with his male roommate, who was in the process of “transitioning” to female. The FBI says it is investigating whether members of an online chat room in which Robinson participated had advance knowledge of the crime.
The Senate resolution introduced by Republican Rick Scott of Florida declares Kirk a “champion of free speech, civil dialogue, and faith” who “consistently promoted the values of individual liberty, open debate, the importance of civic engagement, and the defense of constitutional principles”; and “was recognized as one of the leading voices among young leaders in the United States, creating opportunities for civic education, fostering youth leadership, and promoting principles of liberty and democracy across the United States.”
It sets aside October 14, which would have been Kirk’s 32nd birthday, to “recogniz(e)” Kirk’s “contributions to civic education and public service,” and “encourag(e) educational institutions, civic organizations, and citizens across the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, activities, prayers, and ceremonies that promote civic engagement and the principles of faith, liberty, and democracy that Charlie Kirk championed.”
“Charlie was taken from us in a disgusting act of political violence on September 10, 2025, but his legacy lives on,” Scott said on the Senate floor. “Charlie will long be remembered for his love of God, his family, and this great nation, and the impact he had on each of us. We have the opportunity to carry on his memory by believing in the power of our ideas, discussion, and the values of our nation. As we mourn this massive loss, let us gather together in our communities and pray for his family and our nation. And let us honor Charlie by believing in the power of our ideas to win the day and leave the nation a better place.”
“The best way to honor the work and the legacy and the ministry of Charlie Kirk is to do what he did and that is to advance the principles that he advanced and to adopt his approach,” current Republican Speaker Mike Johnson said. “What I mean by that is the principles that Charlie advanced were the good things. Scripture talks about (how) we focus on the noble and praiseworthy — the good. And Charlie did that.”
Turning Point USA will be holding a public memorial for Kirk on Sunday, September 21, which will feature remarks by President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other members of the Trump administration, as well as his widow Erika Kirk, populist podcaster Tucker Carlson, and others.
