Scalise Condemns Political Violence in Wake of Charlie Kirk Shooting

Lead House Majority Leader Steve Scalise urged Congress to denounce political violence and ensure unity after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, speaking on the House floor Thursday in Washington.

Nut Graf Addressing a sharply divided chamber, Scalise framed Kirk’s killing as a stark reminder that America must resolve differences through debate and ballots-not bullets-and highlighted bipartisan gun-control efforts that have yet to curb violence.

Main Part Subhead: Call to End Political Assassinations Scalise, who survived a 2017 shooting at a congressional baseball practice, described Kirk’s rooftop attack as a calculated political assassination and appealed to lawmakers to reject violence against opponents.

Subhead: Urgent Need for Legislation He noted that despite new background-check laws passed two years ago, the nation recorded more than 46,000 homicides last year, the third-highest on record, and pressed colleagues to strengthen measures to prevent future attacks.

Subhead: Reflection and Responsibility Scalise urged both parties to “look in the mirror” and foster civil discourse. He warned that allowing political anger to escalate into violence threatens the foundations of U.S. democracy.

Subhead: Bipartisan Cooperation Highlighting the limited progress of recent gun-control reforms, Scalise called for renewed bipartisan cooperation, emphasizing that safety depends on collective action, not partisan posturing.

Background Thursday’s remarks followed last weekend’s shooting at Utah Valley University, where Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was killed during a campus speech. The FBI has detained a suspect; investigations continue.