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From left: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; Speaker of the House Mike Johnson
They joined 215 Republicans in doing so, and some Democrats said privately that they feared violence if they voted against the measure.
Ninety-five Democrats joined 215 Republicans Friday to adopt a U.S. House resolution honoring far-right activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last week.
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Kirk was known for his anti-LGBTQ+, racist, and misogynist statements.
The resolution, introduced by House Speaker Mike Johnson, calls Kirk “a courageous American patriot” who was committed to “civil discussion and debate.” His death was “a sobering reminder of the growing threat posed by political extremism and hatred in ou society,” it continues.
It urges “leaders at every level — government, education, media, and beyond” to “stand united in unequivocal condemnation of political violence, regardless of their ideology.”
Fifty-eight Democrats opposed the resolution, while 38 voted present, and 22 did not vote. Four Republicans did not vote.
Related: Charlie Kirk DID say stoning gay people was the 'perfect law' — and these other heinous quotes
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told his fellow Democrats in a closed-door meeting Thursday that leaders would support the resolution, but others were free to vote as they please. Some Democrats said they feared violence if they opposed it, Axios reports, or at least that a no vote would be used against them.
Democratic Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont, a lesbian, told Axios after the meeting that the resolution is “a very painful pill to swallow for all of those communities that [Kirk] has attacked over the years,” but she would vote for it because “we need to condemn political violence.”
“If Republicans were sincere about condemning political violence, they would bring a resolution that could get full bipartisan support ... but I'm not taking the bait,” she added.
Related: We must not posthumously sanitize Charlie Kirk's hateful life
Among the other LGBTQ+ members, Sarah McBride, Angie Craig, Eric Sorensen, Mark Takano, Sharice Davids, and Chris Pappas voted yes; Robert Garcia and Ritchie Torres did not vote; Mark Pocan and Julie Johnson voted present; and Emily Randall voted no.
Jamie Raskin, a progressive Democrat from Maryland, said he voted for the resolution because it “repeatedly condemns all political violence, extremism and hatred in unequivocal terms,” The Guardian reports. He added, “We should overlook whatever surplus verbiage is contained in this resolution designed to make the vote difficult for Democrats. We cannot fall for that obvious political trap and should rise above it.”
But Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, who voted no, issued a statement saying, “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 out there’ should bail out his assailant, and accused Jews of controlling ‘not just the colleges — it’s the nonprofits, it’s the movies, it’s Hollywood, it’s all of it.’ His rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans — far from ‘working tirelessly to promote unity’ as asserted by the majority in this resolution.”
“I cannot vote yes on this resolution because it grossly misrepresents Charlie Kirk’s methods, views and beliefs while citing Christian nationalist language. I will always condemn heinous acts of violence, but this resolution ignores the false and hateful rhetoric that was too often present in his debates,” said Colorado’s Diana DeGette, who voted present, according to The Guardian.
Charlie Kirk DID say stoning gay people was the 'perfect law' — and these other heinous quotes