A resolution honoring the life of Charlie Kirk passed the House Friday during a fight to fund the government, splitting the Democratic caucus.
The resolution passed 310-58, with unified Republican support. Democrats were divided, with 95 members voting in support, 58 opposing, and 38 other Democrats voting present.
House Democratic leadership told its caucus in a meeting on Thursday that they would be supporting the resolution but that their members could vote with their “conscience.” The party has been split in the handling of the Kirk assassination as the party moves to condemn political violence, while some in the party do not agree with the language describing Kirk in the bill.
“Empathy is not a celebration. I empathize with his family and his children, but he was a racist, hateful person,” said Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) of Detroit. “I represent the blackest city in America and he was very, very racist toward black people, black women, and I cannot in good conscience celebrate him.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was among the 58 Democrats voting against the resolution, which she said caused “great pain.”
“We should be clear about who Charlie Kirk was, a man who believed that the Civil Rights Act that granted black Americans the right to vote was a mistake, who, after the violent attack on Paul Pelosi claimed that ‘some amazing patriot’ should bail out his brutal assailant,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a floor speech that also denounced his murder.
The New York Democrat took issue with language in the Kirk resolution that said: “Kirk’s commitment to civil discussion and debate stood as a model for young Americans across the political spectrum, and he worked tirelessly to promote unity.”
“His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant, uneducated, and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
The resolution was introduced by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to honor the life of Kirk and condemn political violence. It praises him as a “courageous American patriot” and says he was “always seeking to elevate truth, foster understanding, and strengthen the Republic.”
The National Republican Congressional Committee has already begun running ads slamming Democrats who don’t plan to support the resolution, citing a Democratic member telling Axios they are being “set up.” Another Democratic lawmaker told the Washington Examiner that “everyone feels very differently” and that the vote will be “all over the board.”
“The modern Democrat Party is simply too radical and unhinged to condemn a politically motivated assassination and honor a man and father of two whose only crime was loving America, winning the debate in the proper fashion, and inspiring others to do the same,” NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella wrote in a press release.
A similar resolution was passed 424-0 in June, condemning the assassination of former Speaker of the Minnesota House Melissa Hortman.
Republicans immediately slammed the Democratic “no” votes, saying, “this should have been a unanimous vote.”
In addition to Ocasio-Cortez and Thanedar, the Democrats voting against the Kirk resolution were Reps. Gabe Amo (D-RI), Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Wesley Bell (D-MO), Stanford Bishop (D-GA), Shontel Brown (D-OH), André Carson (IN), Troy Carter (D-LA), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), James Clyburn (D-SC), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Danny Davis (D-IL), Veronica Escobar (D-TX), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Cleo Fields (D-LA), Shomari Figures (D-AL), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Maxwell Frost (D-FL), Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Jimmy Gomez (D-GA), Al Green (D-TX), Jahana Hayes (D-CT), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Glenn Ivey (D-MD), Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Summer Lee (D-PA), Lucy McBath (D-GA), LaMonica McIver (D-NJ), Rob Menendez (D-NJ), Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Delia Ramirez (D-IL), Emily Randall (D-WA), Bobby Scott (D-VA), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), Emilia Sykes (D-OH), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Lauren Underwood (D-IL), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Nikema Williams (D-GA), and Frederica Wilson (D-FL).
CHARLIE KIRK PUTS HOUSE DEMOCRATS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Kirk, 31, was assassinated last Wednesday at an event at Utah Valley University. The Republican was the co-founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative organization that was instrumental in rallying young voters to the Republican Party and for President Donald Trump.
Prosecutors charged Tyler Robinson, 22, with Kirk’s murder and say he’s been linked to the crime through a DNA match on the gun and text messages.