Indiana Democratic U.S. Rep. André Carson voted against a resolution honoring the life and legacy of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in the wake of his assassination last week.
Carson, who represents Indianapolis, was one of 58 Democrats in the U.S. House to vote against the ceremonial resolution, which calls Kirk “a courageous American patriot, whose life was tragically and unjustly cut short in an act of political violence” in Utah.
A wide majority of House members voted for the resolution, which was approved by a 310-58 vote on Sept. 19, with support from Republicans and Democrats.
Democrats were split over the proposal overall: while 95 Democrats voted in favor of it, including Indiana’s other Democratic U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, an additional 38 Democrats voted “present” and 22 did not vote.
Carson said in a statement after the vote that he would have rather seen the U.S. House pass a different resolution “condemning all forms of political violence including the assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
“In order to truly take on the threat of political violence, we need to confront this issue with honesty and clear-eyed about our reality,” Carson said in the statement. “As a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, I know that domestic terrorism is tragically not new. We have a unique opportunity to collectively say: enough. That’s not what this resolution does. This resolution only heightens political tension and seeks to advance censorship and cancel culture, rather than make any meaningful steps towards unifying our country.”
All of Indiana’s seven Republican U.S. House members voted in favor of the resolution, which “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 Americans.”
Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@indystar.com.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why André Carson says he voted against U.S. House resolution honoring legacy of Charlie Kirk
Reporting by Hayleigh Colombo, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
