Members of Congress have voted to condemn the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk and political violence, in general, as mourners prepare for his memorial on Sunday.
Both chambers of Congress on Friday passed resolutions condemning Kirk’s politically motivated assassination last week. Kirk, 31, best known for founding the conservative advocacy organization Turning Point USA and TPUSA Faith, was killed by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson at Utah Valley University last Wednesday as he was headlining an event on campus.
While the resolution in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate passed unanimously, a significant number of Democrats in the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives opposed the version passed in the lower chamber.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed Senate Resolution 391 in a unanimous vote. The resolution “condemns the assassination of Charlie Kirk in the strongest possible terms,” offers condolences to Kirk’s wife and children, and “honors Charlie Kirk’s commitment to the constitutional principles of civil discussion and debate between all people of the United States, regardless of political affiliation.”
On Friday, the Republican-controlled House voted 310-58 in favor of passing House Resolution 719. The resolution “condemns in the strongest possible terms” Kirk’s assassination and all forms of political violence, expresses gratitude to law enforcement for catching his killer and offers sympathy to Kirk’s family, in addition to honoring the late activist’s commitment to “the Constitution, civil discourse, and Biblical truth.”
The resolution also calls on Americans to “reject political violence, recommit to respectful debate, uphold American values, and respect one another as fellow Americans.” No Republicans opposed the measure, although four did not vote on it.
Ninety-five House Democrats voted for the resolution, accounting for just under half of the House Democratic Caucus. Meanwhile, 58 Democrats voted against the resolution and 38 voted “present.” The remaining 22 did not vote.
All of the Democrats who voted against the resolution are non-white, with two exceptions: Reps. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Mike Quigley, D-Ill.
Most of the Democrats who voted against the resolution represent congressional districts that Democrat Kamala Harris carried by double digits in the 2024 presidential election, with the exceptions of Reps. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., Shomari Figures, D-Ala., Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., Steven Horsford, D-Nev., Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio, and Lauren Underwood, D-Ill.
Meanwhile, all three members of House leadership supported the measure: Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.
Democrats who supported the resolution come from a mixture of safe seats and competitive districts. All but one Democrat who represents a district carried by President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election voted for the resolution. Rep. Gabriel Vasquez, D-N.M., voted “present.”
While most lawmakers and political figures on both sides of the aisle condemned Kirk’s murder last week — with some exceptions like Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. — several teachers and professors across the U.S. have faced suspension or termination for making vile remarks on social media about Kirk’s death. Matthew Dowd, who formerly served as an MSNBC political analyst, was fired for suggesting on air that Kirk invited his assassination by engaging in “hate speech.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
