I have a gay daughter. According to Charlie Kirk, she and her family should not be afforded the rights and security that he wanted for his own family. But I have taken an oath many times to ensure his freedom and to protect his speech, no matter how hurtful it was or how much I disagree with it. And I have a responsibility, as we all do, to lower the temperature in this country.

So, I voted yes today on the resolution. No one should be subject to violence for expressing their beliefs.

I encourage you to read the resolution in full, as I encourage you to read every bill in its entirety. I was troubled by much of the ”preamble” of the resolution’s text; I found it to be a misleading reflection of Mr. Kirk’s life and legacy. But I agreed with most of the “resolutions” listed in the text that are also listed below.

Here is the “resolution” portion of the legislation:

Resolved, That the House of Representatives –

(1) condemns in the strongest possible terms the assassination of Charles “Charlie” James Kirk, and all forms of political violence;
(2) commends and honors the dedicated law enforcement and emergency personnel for their tireless efforts in finding the suspect responsible for the assassination of Charlie Kirk and urges the administration of swift justice to the suspect;
(3) extends its deepest condolences and sympathies to Charlie Kirk’s family, including his wife, Erika, and their two young children, and prays for comfort, peace, and healing in this time of unspeakable loss;
(4) honors the life, leadership, and legacy of Charlie Kirk, whose steadfast dedication to the Constitution, civil discourse, and Biblical truth inspired a generation to cherish and defend the blessings of liberty; and
(5) calls upon all Americans – regardless of race, party affiliation, or creed – to reject political violence, recommit to respectful debate, uphold American values, and respect one another as fellow American

To be clear, much of the text of the resolution was designed to divide and provoke. The vote itself was too.

A better option for my Republican colleagues to have put to a vote would have been a similar Senate version which passed unanimously. Or a resolution by our colleague Marc Veasey, of which I am a cosponsor. I also commend you to read these as well.

Unfortunately, I was not presented with those options; the Republican majority and only the Republican majority chooses what we vote on.

Civility, decency and truth matter. We can certainly do better, but right now we must make every effort to collectively condemn political violence. This was an imperfect and impossible choice, but nevertheless one I had to make.


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Houlahan is an Air Force veteran, engineer, entrepreneur, educator, and nonprofit leader. She is serving her fourth consecutive term representing the people of Pennsylvania’s 6th Congressional District, which encompasses Chester County and southern Berks County. Houlahan is the first female veteran to be named as Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Military Personnel Subcommittee and a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Houlahan is also chair of the Economic Growth and Cost of Living Task Force on the New Democrat Coalition.