House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi refused to honor the “life and legacy” of assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk through House Resolution 719 on Friday, declining to vote despite being present on the House floor.
The resolution, which described Kirk as a “patriot” who “personified the values of the First Amendment,” passed 310-58. Pelosi helped lead the 58 Democrats voting against, and was among 26 members who refused to vote, including 4 Republicans and 22 Democrats.
Pelosi voted on several other bills Friday, including a continuing resolution on government funding that she opposed along with most Democrats.
When asked about her decision not to vote on the Kirk resolution, Pelosi issued a statement simply condemning the assassination while referencing the 2022 attack on her husband.
“My own family still lives with the trauma of a near-deadly attack on my husband, Paul, in our home by an individual seeking to kidnap me, an act of violence that underscored in the most personal way the escalating threats that public officials and their loved ones endure,” Pelosi said.
Following that attack, Kirk made comments during his podcast that have been taken out of context by the mainstream media.
According to liberal news reports, Kirk asked: “Why is he still in jail? Why has he not been bailed out? By the way, if some amazing patriot out there in San Francisco or the Bay Area wants to be a midterm hero, someone should go and bail this guy out. … Bail him out and then go ask him some questions.”
Longer video shows the truth: Kirk wished Pelosi a fast recovery twice during the same broadcast and denounced political violence. His comment about bailing out the attacker was made sarcastically while he was questioning whether the attacker was actually connected to the MAGA movement.
Kirk was murdered September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. The radical leftist Tyler Robinson, 22, has been charged with murder and prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Kirk founded the conservative youth group Turning Point USA and was known for his debates on college campuses and social media.
The vote to honor his life occurred as Congress faces a September 30 deadline to fund the government, with Democrats and Republicans divided over spending priorities and healthcare funding.