House Republicans push to honor Charlie Kirk with new US currency

FIRST ON FOX: A pair of House Republicans are pushing to have Charlie Kirk memorialized on U.S. currency in the wake of his assassination earlier this month.

Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger, R-Texas, and Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., plan to introduce a bill later this week directing the U.S. Treasury to mint 400,000 silver dollar coins with Kirk’s likeness, the pair first told Fox News Digital.

It’s the latest proposal in a litany of bills and resolutions introduced by Republican lawmakers to honor the conservative activist after he was shot and killed during a college campus speaking event in Utah earlier this month.

The coins, which would be considered legal tender, would have Kirk’s image on one side and feature the words “well done, good and faithful servant” on the other.

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They would also be inscribed with Kirk’s full name, “Charles James Kirk,” the year 2026 as well as the U.S.’s full name and motto. 

The coins’ final design would be selected by the Treasury Secretary in consultation with the sitting president, in this case, President Donald Trump.

“Since 1892, Congress has authorized commemorative coins to celebrate and honor historic American patriots,” Hamadeh told Fox News Digital.

He also hailed Kirk as an “American treasure.”

“He tirelessly sacrificed his time, energy, and money to save this nation for future generations. Ultimately, at the hands of a radical leftist, he sacrificed his life,” Hamadeh said. “His life must be commemorated, and this coin will allow us to pass a reminder of his remarkable life on to generations to come.”

Pfluger said that passage of their legislation would make Kirk, at age 31, the youngest-ever American to be placed on U.S. currency at the time of the coins’ minting, which the Texas Republican called “a fitting honor that cements his extraordinary legacy alongside presidents and founding fathers who shaped our republic.”

“Charlie Kirk was a conservative titan whose transformational impact on millions of Americans deserves permanent recognition alongside our nation’s greatest leaders and influential figures,” Pfluger said.

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A law passed by Congress in 1866 bars the image of a living person from being used on U.S. currency.

Several historical figures have been awarded the honor, even beyond American presidents.

Benjamin Franklin notably is the face on the $100 bill, Alexander Hamilton is shown on the $10 note and different versions of the $1 coin feature Sacagawea, former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall and Susan B. Anthony, respectively, among others.

Some historical records have said Sacagawea was 25 at the time of her death, but conflicting accounts reported her passing decades later.

The proposal comes after the House passed a bipartisan resolution honoring Kirk and denouncing political violence late last week.

In addition to Pfluger and Hamadeh’s bill, GOP lawmakers have offered legislation to award Kirk congressional medals, honor him with a day of remembrance, among other initiatives.

Several House Republicans also wrote to Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to ask for a statue at the U.S. Capitol in Kirk’s likeness after his assassination.