[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 149 (Thursday, September 11, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H4261-H4262]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1240
                      TRAGIC LOSS OF CHARLIE KIRK

  (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Kiley 
of California was recognized for 30 minutes.)
  Mr. KILEY of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise at a moment when the 
Nation is still in shock over the sudden and senseless death, the 
brutal, barbaric murder, and the cold-blooded assassination of a man 
beloved by millions.
  The depth of this tragedy is hard to process: a life cut short at age 
31, a wife left without a husband and two young children without a 
father.
  The tributes that have poured in these last 24 hours from people from 
all walks of life and all corners of the political universe, the raw 
grief, and the remarkable eulogies bear testament to a life of 
generational importance, a life cruelly limited in years but 
immeasurable in impact.
  I offer my own heartfelt prayers along with hundreds of millions of 
others in this country and around the world. As we pray for Charlie and 
his loved ones, so too do I pray for our country.
  We are in a perilous moment. We don't yet have all the facts about 
yesterday's horrifying events, and the killer remains at large. What we 
do know is that political division has continued to deepen in this 
country and that political violence is on the rise.
  With a loss this profound, with evil this glaring, and with so much 
pain, suffering, anger, and fear, this cycle could escalate. A new, 
more severe round of accusations and recriminations, of demonization 
and dehumanization, could bring our politics and society to a darker 
place.
  That isn't where things have to go. This can also be an occasion for 
soul-searching as a country. As all decent people condemn this 
horrifying act of political violence, we can be reminded of the broader 
swath of common ground that we share. It is a belief that political 
differences should be resolved through dialogue, debate, and elections, 
not force. It is a commitment to the founding ideals of our country, 
however differently we might conceive of them at any given moment, that 
all men and women are created equal and are endowed by their creator 
with inalienable rights.
  More basically, we all want to see our economy thrive, our 
communities safe, and our families happy and healthy.
  The last time we truly came together around our shared ideals and 
aspirations in a sustained way and stood solidly together on the common 
ground of our body politic was 24 years ago today. The tragedy of 
September 11 crystallized America's transcendent values in a way that 
made every degree of difference seem trifling.
  We were all Americans then, and still today, we are all Americans. I 
don't believe that the generation that has passed since 9/11 has 
depleted our ability to come together as a country, and I don't believe 
that an attack on the homeland is the only thing that can rekindle it. 
At this moment, working to rediscover that capacity for unity is a 
matter of the highest urgency to our Nation's future.
  A simple thing we can all do: If you have a friend or family member 
whom you have stopped talking to because of political differences, this 
might be a good time to reach out and to say that

[[Page H4262]]

we are still friends and still family. Politics isn't everything, and 
politics itself, when properly conducted, can foster friendship and 
build community even among ideological opponents.
  That is what Charlie Kirk devoted his life to. He brought people of 
all perspectives together to talk to one another, to have a vigorous 
exchange of ideas, to discuss how best we can fulfill America's 
promise, and to participate in democracy.
  Charlie Kirk's example shows that when you are willing to have 
conversations, Mr. Speaker, you often learn things. You may not be 
persuaded by your opponents, but you can appreciate their perspective, 
see where they are coming from, see them as people, discover surprising 
points of agreement, and gain a more nuanced understanding of your own 
position by understanding theirs.
  That is something we can all try to do better, especially those of us 
in elected office.
  I ask every Member of this House, myself included, to think hard 
about how we can approach our work here with a greater spirit of 
collegiality and conciliation. In this terrible moment, that has to be 
the path forward for our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________