September 20th 2025.
In the aftermath of the tragic killing of white nationalist Charlie Kirk, House Republicans, led by House Speaker Mike Johnson, introduced a five-page resolution. This resolution, co-sponsored by 165 of his colleagues, praised Kirk as a “courageous American patriot” who aimed to promote truth, understanding, and strengthen our nation. However, the vote on this resolution was met with controversy and dissent from some members of Congress.
According to reports from The Guardian, House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries informed Democrats in a closed-door meeting that leadership would vote in favor of the resolution, but individual members were left to make their own decision on how to vote. In the end, 95 Democrats, including Rep. Jeffries, ended up voting alongside the Republicans.
However, not all Democrats were in agreement with this resolution. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was one of the 95 who voted no, stating her opposition to the figure that the Republican Party was trying to honor through this resolution. In her statement, she made it clear that she wanted to shed light on who Charlie Kirk truly was - a man who believed the Civil Rights Act was a mistake, showed support for his assailant after a violent attack, and made anti-Semitic remarks. She argued that his rhetoric and beliefs were harmful and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans, contradicting the majority's claim that he was working to promote unity.
In addition to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, the Congressional Black Caucus also expressed their disagreement with the resolution in a press release. CBC Chair Yvette D. Clarke echoed some of the same concerns as AOC, stating that they strongly disagreed with many of Kirk's promoted beliefs, including his denial of systemic racism and offensive comments about prominent Black individuals. She also criticized the resolution for attempting to legitimize Kirk's divisive worldview and called on her colleagues to reject it.
Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat from Mississippi, also released a statement expressing his opposition to the resolution. While he condemned the violent murder of Kirk, he could not support honoring him as a role model due to his divisive and harmful rhetoric. He pointed out that Kirk's views normalized fringe ideas and resurrected dangerous prejudices from the past, and he could not in good conscience support someone who demeaned marginalized communities and questioned the progress of civil rights in our country.
Overall, the vote on the Charlie Kirk Resolution sparked controversy and debate among members of Congress. While condemning his murder, some chose to speak out against honoring him as a role model due to his harmful beliefs and divisive rhetoric. They argued that this resolution only served to further divide our nation and suppress honest debate, and called for unity and accountability instead.
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