{"id":243999,"date":"2025-10-02T11:55:43","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T16:55:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=243999"},"modified":"2025-10-02T11:56:59","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T16:56:59","slug":"cronkite-news-republicans-wont-swear-in-new-democratic-lawmaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/10\/02\/cronkite-news-republicans-wont-swear-in-new-democratic-lawmaker\/","title":{"rendered":"Cronkite News: Republicans won’t swear in new Democratic lawmaker"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Adelita<\/a>
Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva celebrates winning Arizona\u2019s 7th Congressional District in Tucson on September 23, 2025. Photo by Lorenzo Gomez \/ Cronkite News<\/figcaption>\r\n
Did House Republicans stall Adelita Grijalva\u2019s swearing-in to delay release of Epstein files?<\/div>\r\n
Thursday, October 2, 2025<\/div>\r\n
By Nick Karmia<\/div>\r\n
Cronkite News<\/DIV>\r\n
cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A><\/DIV>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva arrived at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday expecting to be sworn in as the newest member of Congress. Instead \u2013 a week after winning a special election to succeed her late father \u2013 she was left waiting.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe Tucson Democrat stood on the House floor during a pro forma session that lasted less than three minutes, enough time for an opening prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Fellow Democrats chanted \u201cSwear her in!\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\nBut the Republican presiding over the House gaveled the session to an abrupt end. The oath of office would have to wait. Until when remains unclear.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s frustrating,\u201d Grijalva said afterward. \u201cI\u2019m essentially a tourist with a couple of friends in Congress that have a conference room that they\u2019ll lend me.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\nGrijalva\u2019s father, Ra\u00fal Grijalva, died in March during his 12th term in Congress. His daughter, former chair of the Pima County Board of Supervisors, won the special election last week by a landslide to serve out his term.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nHouse Republicans have not explained the delay. But Democrats suspect it has something to do with the push to release files related to Jeffrey Epstein.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nEpstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, died in jail in 2019 awaiting federal trial for trafficking young women and girls for sex. His assistant, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a 20-year term for her role in his abuse of minors.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nConservatives have demanded release of the full investigative files. President Donald Trump, a former friend of Epstein, has criticized the push for disclosure, calling it a Democratic \u201choax\u201d and encouraging supporters to move on.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nSpeaker Mike Johnson has resisted holding a vote on release of the remaining files.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nA petition to force such a vote is one signature short, and Grijalva intends to provide that signature.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nJohnson aides and the office of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise did not respond to repeated inquiries about the timing of Grijalva\u2019s swearing-in.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nUntil Johnson agrees to administer the oath of office, Grijalva remains in a limbo of sorts \u2013 unable to move into her father\u2019s old office, hire staff, activate an official web page or sign the Epstein petition.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe next scheduled House session is Friday, also pro forma. The first government shutdown in six years started 12 hours after Grivalja\u2019s brief stop on the House floor.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cEvery day that Speaker Johnson delays is another day Southern Arizonans are left without a voice in Congress and without essential in-district services,\u201d Grijalva said in a statement hours after the floor snub. \u201cWith federal budget negotiations happening now, our community deserves a seat at the table \u2013 not partisan obstruction.\u201d\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe Epstein petition effort is led by a Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nEvery Democrat has signed, along with Massie and three other Republicans.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nRep. Greg Stanton, D-Phoenix, called the delay \u201cunacceptable,\u201d accusing the speaker of breaking precedent.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nEarlier this year, Johnson personally swore in two Florida Republicans within 24 hours of their victories in special elections. Those were also done at brief pro forma sessions, during which the chamber takes no votes and conducts little business.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nOther Arizona Democrats have also called on Johnson to allow Grijalva to take her seat immediately.\r\n

<\/p>\r\nSen. Mark Kelly said there is \u201cno reason to delay.\u201d Sen. Ruben Gallego echoed that message.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n\u201cVoters in Southern Arizona spoke loudly and clearly when they elected Adelita Grijalva to represent them in Congress. They deserve to have their voices heard here in Washington without delay,\u201d Rep. Yassamin Ansari of Phoenix wrote in a letter to the speaker.\r\n\r\n\r\n

<\/p>\r\nFor more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org<\/A>.<\/STRONG>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Note: This story originally appeared on Cronkite News<\/a>. It is published via a Creative Commons license<\/A>. Cronkite News is produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication<\/A> at Arizona State University<\/A>.<\/EM>
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