Speaker delays swearing-in of Adelita Grijalva
Adelita Grijalva, who won a special election for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District about a week earlier, has not yet been sworn into the U.S. House because Speaker Mike Johnson says new members are typically sworn when the chamber is in session. Democrats say the delay—reported Oct. 2, 2025—deprives constituents of representation and suspect it is a partisan maneuver to prevent Grijalva from signing a petition that would force a floor vote to release Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Politics
Elections
🔍 Key Facts
- Adelita Grijalva won the Arizona 7th District special election roughly one week before Oct. 2, 2025.
- Speaker Mike Johnson’s office says swearing-in will occur when the House resumes session; Republicans contend this is 'standard practice.'
- Democrats (including Rep. Katherine Clark and Sen. Ruben Gallego) accuse GOP leadership of delaying the swearing-in to blunt a petition that needs Grijalva’s signature to force a vote to release DOJ Epstein files.
📍 Contextual Background
- The United States federal government entered a partial shutdown on 2025-10-01 after the midnight funding deadline passed with Democrats and Republicans failing to agree on a funding bill.
- A continuing resolution (CR) is a temporary funding measure used by the U.S. Congress to keep federal agencies operating while House and Senate negotiators complete annual appropriations for a fiscal year.