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by MARK POWELL
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Every so often, the U.S. Congress takes up a matter that should be a no-brainer, a legislative slam dunk. And all too often, one party or the other blows it. Such was the case last week on Capitol Hill.
The U.S House of Representatives considered a resolution honoring Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was murdered earlier this month while exercising his constitutional right to free speech on a Utah college campus. Give that the crime was caught on video (horrifying millions who watched) – and the victim was a mere 31 years old and left a wife and two toddlers behind – passing such a resolution should have been the congressional equivalent of cruising on autopilot.
Yet in 2025’s deeply divided hyperpartisan atmosphere, nothing is ever simple in Washington, D.C.
The House did approve the resolution by a 310–58 vote. But it’s the 58 portion that’s problematic for Democrats.
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Many Americans have been horrified by the exuberant elation over Kirk’s slaying blatantly displayed by the progressive left. Those 58 votes showed that congressional Democrats remain terrified of offending the woke faction of their party – from which those joyous outbursts originated.
House Democrat leadership did not instruct its caucus how to vote on the measure, choosing to turn a blind eye to it instead. This tacit carte blanche from their caucus bosses allowed Democrats to do as they wished – and a big chunk of them wanted nothing to do with honoring the fallen public figure.
“It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation (for Democrats),” Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), and head of the Congressional Black Caucus, admitted beforehand, adding there was “no reason” and “no excuse” for Democrats to vote against it since there was “no partisan language” in the five-page resolution.
When the final vote was tallied, 95 Democrats sided with the GOP to pass it. Another 38 sat on their hands, refusing to take a side by merely voting “present,” while 22 didn’t vote at all.
High-profile Democrats who voted against it included representatives Jasmine Crockett, Pramila Jayapal, Raja Krishnamoorthi and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. Prominent progressive Rep. Ro Khanna, who is actively weighing a White House run in 2028, voted “present,” as did Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other top members of Democratic leadership.
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It’s those 58 “no” votes that are creating horrible optics for Democrats.
“Think about it for a minute,” a national D.C.-based political pollster told us. “The people screaming the loudest, claiming ‘our democracy is in danger,’ hate the other side so much that they were unable to vote for a resolution paying tribute to a man who gave his life practicing the First Amendment’s principles. That tells you everything you need to know about the Left today.”
Similarly, when a candlelight vigil in Kirk’s memory was held on Monday evening, only a handful of Democrats attended.
“It would be great for the country if Republicans and Democrats could stand together to call out political violence,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said before the vote.
Sadly, 58 Democrats replied, “no way.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
J. Mark Powell is an award-winning former TV journalist, government communications veteran, and a political consultant. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Got a tip or a story idea for Mark? Email him at mark@fitsnews.com.
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4 comments
MAGA’s Martyr.
The “fuck your feelings” MAGAts have gotten really sensitive now.
Kirk was a hateful bigot. No, he shouldn’t have been shot and nobody should be glad of it, but he also shouldn’t be honored either.
The guy who thought the Civil Rights Act was a mistake? The guy who thought MLK Jr. was an awful person? The guy who blamed the left for him seeing a black pilot and thinking they didn’t know how to fly a plane?
I’m sure plantation owners had wives and children too.
This is such a stupid column. The party that gets on its knees to anybody they think was spouting something useful is the Republicans not the Democrats. Get on your knees by yourself. Maybe you will learn something from the fact not everybody is down there with you.
There are no nobrainers when the reptile brain is the main unit turned on in politics. And that holds for both side of the political spectrum