House Democrats Will Vote for Resolution Honoring Charlie Kirk’s Life — With Maybe a Few Objectors

Kirk’s assassination has lawmakers on edge.

Mark Wilson/Getty Images
President Trump shakes hands with conservative activist Charlie Kirk at the White House on March 22, 2018. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

It is possible that a small handful of House Democrats could vote against a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk’s life on Friday morning, according to three lawmakers who spoke with The New York Sun. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been dogged in their rhetoric in recent days, and Democrats voting against the resolution on Friday could only inflame those tensions between House members. 

The House is set to vote Friday morning on a resolution expressing gratitude for Kirk’s work as an activist. He was allegedly killed by Tyler Robinson, whom prosecutors and law enforcement have described as being left-wing in his political beliefs. 

One House Democrat, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, tells the Sun that he is undecided on how he will vote on Friday, and implied that other lawmakers feel the same. “There’s a lot of moving parts” within the Democratic caucus, the congressman said. 

Another lawmaker, Congressman Jim McGovern, hinted that he was likely to vote for the resolution, even though he “would’ve written it differently.” Mr. McGovern serves as the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, and did not object to bringing the Kirk resolution to the floor when the panel considered a procedural vehicle for the resolution earlier this week. 

“I’m inclined” to vote for it, Mr. McGovern told the Sun on Wednesday night. “Even though I would’ve written it differently, I agree with a lot of the … provisions,” he added, referring to the denunciations of “targeted violence against individuals for their political beliefs” and the “tragic” assassination of Kirk.  

“Obviously, I didn’t agree with Charlie Kirk on almost anything,” Mr. McGovern said.

A third Democratic lawmaker, Congressman Al Green — who famously heckled President Trump during his address to Congress earlier this year — hinted to the Sun that he would vote against the resolution. 

Mr. Green on Wednesday voted against the “rule” — or procedural vehicle — to begin debate on the House floor for the Kirk resolution. When asked if he would be similarly voting against the underlying resolution celebrating Kirk, Mr. Green said, “I will be consistent.”

Mr. Green said that he wished Republicans had put something forward that “was done more in line with ending the violence,” rather than a specific condemnation of Kirk’s murder and the celebration of his work as an activist. 

“We don’t have to agree with a person, but in this country we don’t kill people,” he said, denouncing Kirk’s assassination. 

The Senate, meanwhile, had no problem expressing grief for Kirk and his family. On Wednesday, Senator Bernie Moreno introduced a resolution of condemnation in Congress’s upper chamber to denounce the killing of Kirk. The full title of the measure was, “Condemning the assassination of Charlie Kirk and honoring his life and legacy.”

The Senate resolution — which is shorter and less laudatory than the House version set to be taken up on Friday — states that the Senate “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 Thursday, the Senate passed it by unanimous consent, meaning that no senator objected to its passage, and it was adopted without a recorded vote. 

Kirk’s voter engagement groups, Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action, appear to be going nowhere anytime soon. Since his assassination, TPUSA says it has received tens of thousands of inquiries from students about starting chapters on their own college campuses, and on Thursday, the group announced that Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, would take over as chief executive of the organization.


The New York Sun

© 2025 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  create a free account

or
By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use