Dozens Of Democrats Decline To Vote On House Resolution Honoring Charlie Kirk

WASHINGTON — On Friday, the U.S. House approved a resolution to honor Charlie Kirk and denounce political violence — coming less than two weeks after his assassination at a Turning Point USA event.

The resolution passed 310–58, with 38 Democrats voting “present.” All opposition came from the Democratic caucus.

The measure describes Kirk as a “courageous American patriot” and commends his legacy as founder of Turning Point USA, a prominent conservative youth organization. It was backed by 165 House Republicans.

While many Democrats said they support condemning political violence, several objected to the resolution’s language, which they claimed went beyond a neutral condemnation and into political glorification.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) told Democrats to support the resolution as a way to sidestep a “political trap.” Even so, dozens refused to vote yes, and nearly two dozen didn’t vote at all:

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.), who has urged colleagues to turn down the temperature on their political rhetoric in the wake of Kirk’s death, had encouraged all members to back the resolution. 

Kirk “stood for what was good in America, what is virtuous, worthy of protection and preservation, and we honor his memory by doing this simple act of passing this resolution,” he said in a statement released Thursday.

House Democratic leaders told colleagues on Thursday that they planned to vote “yes” on the resolution but didn’t plan to pressure members to do the same. Other Democrats said they struggled with their decision.

“We can all feel terrible about his murder and bad for his beautiful family. They’re not giving us a chance to just say that,” Rep. Jared Huffman (D., Calif.) said. He said Republican leaders are “forcing us to also, you know, at least implicitly, say that everything he said was true and good, and that’s just not where any of us are.” 

Other Democrats pushed back further, saying the resolution glorified a divisive figure instead of centering on the violence.

Vermont Democrat Rep. Becca Balint blasted GOP leaders’ move as “the most cynical, craven” tactic in this moment. “I want to make sure we on the Democratic side are not taking the bait and being framed as driving hatred and violence,” she said.