AOC claims House resolution honoring Charlie Kirk a reminder of 'segregation,' 'Jim Crow'

"Squad" member and reportedly hopeful presidential candidate Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) took to the House floor on Friday to defend why she voted against a resolution honoring the life of Charlie Kirk as well as condemning political violence in all its forms. Kirk was assassinated on September 10 when he was shot in the neck. 

Ocasio-Cortez stated on the floor of the House after the vote took place that "condemning the depravity of Kirk’s brutal murder is a straightforward matter" and that people can "disagree" with each other but still "come together as a country to denounce the horror of killing." 

https://twitter.com/RealTStevenson/status/1969075154538971370

She then attacked Kirk as well as the GOP for bringing the resolution forward. "It then only underscores the majority’s recklessness and intent to divide by choosing to introduce this resolution on a purely partisan basis, instead of uniting Congress in this tragedy with one of the many bipartisan options to condemn political violence and Kirk’s murder, as we did with the late Melissa Hortman," Ocasio-Cortez stated, and then claimed the resoltuion "brings great pain to the millions of Americans who endured segregation, Jim Crow, and the legacy of that bigotry today."

Ocasio-Cortez proceeded to quote Kirk out of context, and then claimed Kirk's "rhetoric and beliefs were ignorant and sought to disenfranchise millions of Americans – far from ‘working tirelessly to promote unity’ as asserted by the majority in this resolution."

In addition to Ocasio-Cortez, others defended themselves after they voted against honoring Kirk's life and legacy. Pramily Jayapal, who also voted against the resolution, said that she condemns the assassination, but that she would not bring herself to vote in favor of the resolution. 

"Every one of us, as elected officials, has the responsibility to condemn all political violence from wherever it comes. Congress should have been voting on a unifying resolution to do just that - condemning the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk, without lionizing his highly controversial speech or actions. Unfortunately, this Republican resolution was designed as a political 'gotcha' - trying to force every member of Congress to lift up the views of Charlie Kirk rather than simply condemning his assassination. I cannot do that."

https://twitter.com/repjayapal/status/1969055583916433808

"Voting for this resolution puts words in my mouth that I endorse Charlie Kirk's views, when I wholly and fundamentally in my bones am in strong opposition to most of his views," she later added.