Who is Adelita Grijalva and what is the controversy over her being sworn in to Congress?

Democrats step up pressure on House Speaker Mike Johnson swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat who won a special election last month to succeed him late father.

The delay has drawn increasing attention this week, with Johnson being grilled by lawmakers, reporters and even C-SPAN viewers about why Grijalva has not been sworn in. Johnson has repeatedly said she will take the oath of office when the House session resumes. He blames the government shutdown for the delay.

Here is an overview of the situation:

Who is Adelita Grijalva?

She is the daughter of Rep. Raul Grijalva, a staunch progressive who died in March. He served more than two decades in the House, becoming chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, where he helped shape the nation’s environmental policies.

Related | Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona dies of cancer

Adelita Grijalva has been active in local politics, serving first at the school board level and then on the Pima County Board of Supervisors, becoming the second woman to serve as president.

She easily won a special election on September 23 to serve out the remainder of his father’s term. She will represent a majority-Hispanic district in which Democrats enjoy a nearly 2-to-1 voter registration advantage over Republicans.

How Grijalva sees the delay

Grijalva was gracious to her future Democratic colleagues when they welcomed her to the U.S. Capitol last month, even though she and her future staff were officially considered visitors to the building.

“I think it’s great to be able to be in a room with those who will be my colleagues, but then you realize very quickly that you’re not part of the club yet,” Grijalva said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press. “If I had a lot of money to bet, I would bet that if I were a Republican representative waiting in the wings, I would have already been sworn in.”

She said she was concerned about the precedent set by his late swearing-in.

“The foundation of our democracy is free, fair and unfettered elections,” she said. “And if President Johnson believes it, as I do, then he will stop messing with our democratic process and swear me in.”

Why is the House empty during closing?

House members have mostly been back in their home districts since September 19. That’s when Republicans passed a continuing resolution to fund the government through November 21. Johnson’s decision to send lawmakers home was intended to pressure the Senate into passing the funding measure — a tactic that hasn’t worked so far.

Johnson has yet to schedule any floor votes since then, although the House has occasionally met in pro forma sessions, which are typically short sessions lasting only a few minutes during which no votes take place.

“We will swear him in when everyone comes back,” Johnson told reporters this week.

Lawmakers who win special elections are typically sworn in on days when legislative business is taking place, and they are greeted with warm applause from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. They give a brief speech as their family and friends look on from the galleries.

However, there is precedent for proceeding differently. On April 2, Johnson swore in Republican Representatives Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine, both of Florida, less than 24 hours after winning their special elections, in a pro forma session.

Related | Watch the Speaker of the House ask a fumbling question about the Epstein cover-up

Johnson said the circumstances were unique because the House had unexpectedly left its sessions that day. Patronis and Fine had already made arrangements for their families, friends and supporters to be in Washington.

“As a courtesy to them and their families, we took the oath of office in an empty room. It wasn’t fun. They didn’t have the same pomp and circumstance as everyone else,” Johnson said Thursday on C-SPAN when a caller asked him about Grijalva. “We will administer the oath as soon as he returns.”

How are the Democrats reacting?

Democrats have little leverage to force Johnson to seat Grijalva while the House is in recess. But they keep up the pressure.

In an unusual scene Wednesday, Arizona’s two Democratic senators — Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego — confronted Johnson outside his office about the Grijalva situation.

“You keep making excuses,” Gallego told Johnson. The speaker called it a publicity stunt.

Democrats also spoke in pro forma sessions to try to get Grijalva sworn in. The chairperson ignored them each time.

“Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva should be sworn in now. It should have happened this week, should have happened last week. It should have happened next week,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Thursday.

What does his swearing in have to do with the Epstein files?

Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, challenging GOP leadership, was collect signatures on a petition trigger a vote on legislation that would require the release of federal files on Jeffrey Epstein. And he’s just one name away from success.

Grijalva said she would sign the petition once she takes office, providing Massie with the 218 signatures needed to trigger a vote.

Related | Even Republicans admit Johnson is doing everything to hide Epstein files

Democrats say Johnson is delaying Grijalva’s swearing-in, as well as the House’s return to Washington, because he wants to delay any vote on Epstein.

Johnson denied the accusation during his appearance on C-SPAN. “It has nothing to do with Epstein.”

Related | Arizona Senators Are Fed Up With Mike Johnson’s BS

Grijalva said she tried not to be a “conspiracy theorist” and initially disagreed with supporters and allies who warned her she would not serve in Congress because of the Epstein bill.

“I said to myself, no way, he’s going to swear me in. Everything will be fine,” she said. “Here we are two weeks later. »