Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., right, joined by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., center left, leads a vigil to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk who was shot and killed at an event in Utah last week, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
House approves resolution honoring Charlie Kirk with dozens of Democrats opposed
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 The House overwhelmingly passed a resolution honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Friday, but a significant number of Democrats voted against it, highlighting the deepening political divide in the wake of his assassination.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., right, joined by Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., center left, leads a vigil to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk who was shot and killed at an event in Utah last week, at the Capitol in Washington, Monday, Sept. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 The House overwhelmingly passed a resolution honoring conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Friday, but a significant number of Democrats voted against it, highlighting the deepening political divide in the wake of his assassination.
The resolution, which praised 鈥渢he life and legacy鈥 of Kirk, passed the Republican-controlled House with 310 votes in favor. While 95 Democrats supported the resolution, 58 voted against it and 38 voted 鈥減resent,鈥 effectively abstaining. Republicans had warned ahead of the vote that no one should oppose the measure, but many Democrats said they felt Kirk鈥檚 death had been politicized and that the resolution elevated views they disagreed with.
鈥淭oday’s resolution underscores the majority’s recklessness by choosing to author this condemnation and honoring on a purely partisan basis,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a high-profile Democrat who voted against the resolution. 鈥淲e should be clear about who Charlie Kirk was.鈥
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Speaker Mike Johnson said that there was 鈥渘o partisan language鈥 in the resolution and that there was 鈥渘o excuse鈥 for anyone not to vote in favor of it.
鈥淲e are honoring someone who contributed greatly to the free marketplace of ideas and public discourse and who died in a disgraceful, horrific manner,鈥 Johnson told reporters.
The vote capped a week of heightened tensions in Congress and across a nation grappling with Kirk鈥檚 assassination and the legacy he left behind. Many on the right have blamed the left for fostering a political climate that led to his death, pushing for more than condemnation and allowing little room for criticism of his views. In the days since, backlash to such criticism has 鈥 ranging from teachers to journalists 鈥 as conservative activists have launched aggressive pressure campaigns.
鈥淣o single member of the House Democratic caucus, not a single member, condones political violence in America,鈥 House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Friday.
Earlier this week, the House to punish one of its own over commentary in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk鈥檚 assassination. The Republican effort to censure Rep. Ilhan Omar came after she criticized Kirk鈥檚 views of gun ownership and race relations in the aftermath of George Floyd鈥檚 2020 death in Minneapolis. After the vote fell short, President Donald Trump responded by calling Omar 鈥渢errible.鈥
While Friday鈥檚 resolution aimed to honor Kirk and denounce political violence, many Democrats took issue with its language. The text described Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, as someone who was 鈥渟eeking to elevate truth, foster understanding, and strengthen the Republic,鈥 and that he stood 鈥渁s a model for young Americans.鈥
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The resolution sparked intense internal debate among Democrats. While party leadership ultimately backed it, they did not push members to vote a certain way. Some lawmakers saw it as a political trap designed to force them into endorsing Kirk鈥檚 views.
鈥淭his Republican resolution was designed as a political 鈥榞otcha鈥 鈥 trying to force every member of Congress to lift up the views of Charlie Kirk rather than simply condemning his assassination,鈥 said Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal in a statement. 鈥淚 cannot do that.鈥
Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan, who was among a few in the party to attend a vigil honoring Kirk at the Capitol earlier this week, said she supported the resolution “because his horrific killing, and this volatile time require all of us to reject violence, hate, and anger without hesitation.鈥
Many Republicans in Congress are set to travel to Arizona on Sunday for Kirk鈥檚 funeral. Johnson, who plans to attend the funeral, gave a long tribute on the House floor on Thursday, saying the the best way to honor Kirk was to 鈥渁dvance the principles that he advanced, and to adopt his approach.鈥
National Republican Campaign Committee spokesperson Mike Marinella said that Democrats are 鈥渟o consumed by hatred and political violence that they couldn鈥檛 even bring themselves to support a resolution condemning the assassination of Charlie Kirk.鈥
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Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report.
