[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 154 (Friday, September 19, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E882-E883]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF CHARLES ``CHARLIE'' JAMES KIRK

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 18, 2025

  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, the horrific murder of Charlie Kirk was 
reprehensible. Members of Congress pray for Charlie's wife, Erika, 
their two young children, and all who loved him during their time of 
mourning and grief. We also extend our prayers to all who were present 
on the Utah Valley University campus at the time of this tragedy, who 
will carry the trauma of that day with them forever.
  In recent years, a disturbing and unacceptable pattern has emerged: 
individuals being targeted for their role in public life or for their 
association with political discourse. Violence of this nature is not an 
attack on one person alone--it is an assault on democracy itself, meant 
to silence debate, sow fear, and tear at the fabric of our civil 
society.
  We remember the assassination attempt on Congresswoman Gabby 
Giffords, which left her critically injured and six innocent lives 
lost. We remember the shooting at a Congressional baseball game 
practice, which seriously wounded Congressman Steve Scalise and injured 
five others. We recall the chilling plot to kidnap Michigan Governor 
Gretchen Whitmer. We will not forget the storming of the United States 
Capitol on January 6th, which resulted in the deaths of five law 
enforcement officers and shook the very foundations of our democracy.
  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.
  We have also seen assassination attempts on the life of President 
Donald Trump; the arson targeting Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's 
residence and family; the heartbreaking assassination of Minnesota 
House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the 
attempted assassination of State Senator John Hoffman and his wife. And 
now, we are horrified by the murder of Charlie Kirk, targeted while 
exercising his right to speak freely on a college campus.
  All of these incidents must be denounced unequivocally and without 
qualification. Violence has no place in our political process, in our 
communities, or in our country. At the same time, we have a solemn 
responsibility to act. Congress must work with state and local leaders, 
law enforcement, and communities to ensure the security of Members, 
staff, and constituents alike--so that all Americans may fully 
participate in civic life without fear. That also means we must address 
the epidemic of gun violence in our country to keep our children and 
their families safe.
  Let us be clear: political differences must be resolved at the ballot 
box and through dialogue, never through the barrel of a gun or the 
threat of violence. The strength of our democracy lies not in 
unanimity, but in the peaceful contest of ideas. Together, we must 
recommit to protecting that principle and the American

[[Page E883]]

people, to lowering the temperature of political rhetoric, and to 
honoring the dignity and humanity of every person engaged in public 
service.

                          ____________________