PHOENIX — Democratic members of Arizona’s Congressional delegation gathered outside of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. on Wednesday morning to call for Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to end a more than three-week-long delay and allow Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva to take office.
“Right now, of all the times when we have flooding … in Tucson, in her district, those members do not have someone to call for help because Speaker Johnson is covering up for pedophiles,” U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego said.
Grijalva and her Democratic colleagues have blamed the delay of her swearing-in ceremony on the speaker not wanting Grijalva to sign a petition that calls for the Department of Justice to release files related to the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case.
“Speaker Johnson knows that I will be the 218th signature on the discharge petition for the Epstein files. He is doing everything in his power to shield this administration from accountability,” Grijalva said. “That is not leadership, that is obstruction.”
If the petition reaches 218 signatures, it would force a vote.
“Let’s cut to it. Speaker Johnson is protecting pedophiles. That’s what this is all about,” Gallego added. “The only reason Adelita Grijalva is not being sworn in right now is because he wants to protect whatever is in those files.”
Johnson said Tuesday that the reason the Epstein files have not been released is that work is being done to protect all of the victims by redacting their names.
“We’re for all of it coming out as soon as possible,” he said. “The only thing we want to make sure of is that the innocent victims are protected and I think we have responsibility to do that.”
Why hasn’t Adelita Grijalva been sworn in to Congress?
Grijalva, a Democrat, was overwhelmingly elected to represent Arizona’s Seventh Congressional District (CD7) on Sept. 23, as she defeated her Republican opponent, Daniel Butierez, by more than 40,000 votes.
She will fill a seat that was left vacant when her father, Raúl, died after a long battle with cancer in March. Since then, the nearly 800,000 constituents in CD7 have been without representation in Congress.
“It’s outrageous that they are being punished when Arizona’s voters did everything right,” Rep. Greg Stanton said. “They turned out, they voted and overwhelmingly they chose Adelita Grijalva clearly and decisively.”
However, despite more than three weeks having passed since the special election, Grijalva has yet to be sworn into office, which Johnson said Tuesday was due to the government shutdown.
“As soon as Chuck Schumer opens the government, as soon as Mark Kelly and Sen. (Ruben) Gallego, the two senators from Arizona, Ms. Grijalva’s state, will go and join with three others and open the government, we’ll have that as soon as we get back to business,” Johnson said. “But we have to get back to business. They have to open the government.”
Grijalva and her Democratic colleagues disagreed with that statement, claiming the delay is unprecedented due to Johnson swearing in two Republican congressmen during a pro forma session, which took place in April, just one day after they were elected.
“There is no reason other than politics that Arizona should be treated differently,” Grijalva said Wednesday.
The speaker added that he wanted to wait for the House to be back in session, as he wanted to give Grijalva all the pomp and circumstance of becoming the newest member in front of all of her colleagues.
“I don’t need bells and whistles. I don’t need pomp and circumstance,” Grijalva said. “I just need to get to work for southern Arizona.”
Push for Adelita Grijalva to be sworn in grows stronger
Wednesday’s event was the latest call for Johnson to swear Grijalva into office.
On Tuesday, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said she would take legal action against Johnson unless he announces the date and location of Grijalva’s swearing-in ceremony by Thursday.
Marching to Speaker Johnson’s office with @DemWomenCaucus and House Democrats to demand I get sworn in. pic.twitter.com/KUM99U90kS
— Adelita Grijalva (@AdelitaForAZ) October 15, 2025
Additionally, Grijalva, the Democratic Women’s Caucus and other Democratic representatives marched through the halls of the Capitol on Tuesday night. The group chanted “Swear her in” as they walked to Speaker Johnson’s office in an effort to deliver the certified results of Grijalva’s election to his office and demand that Grijalva be given the oath of office.
Also, Stanton sent Johnson a formal letter demanding he swear in Grijalva.
Johnson did not address Grijalva’s swearing-in during a nearly hour-long press conference on Wednesday.
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