Pressure from Democrats to Seat New Representative

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is urging House Speaker Mike Johnson to officially seat newly elected Democrat Adelita Grijalva from Arizona. Grijalva’s presence in Congress is important for compelling a vote on the release of Jeffrey Epstein’s files.

In a letter sent on Thursday, Jeffries asked Johnson to administer the oath to Grijalva during a temporary House session scheduled for Friday at 2 p.m. He emphasized that Grijalva’s election was certified by the State of Arizona and had never been in question, yet House Republicans have delayed her representation for over three weeks.

Jeffries expressed concern that blocking Grijalva’s seat due to partisan motives undermines the integrity of Congress. Grijalva won her seat on September 23, succeeding her father, Rep. Raul Grijalva, who passed away from cancer in March.

Johnson has recently canceled all House meetings to pressure Senate Democrats on a Republican spending proposal. This budget conflict has already led to a government shutdown as of October 1, and Johnson indicated he wouldn’t reconvene the House until Democrats assist in reopening it.

Despite saying earlier he would swear in Grijalva at any time, Johnson has since dismissed using pro forma sessions—standard procedures that allow for adjournment without agreement from the other side. He mentioned that Grijalva deserves a more ceremonious swearing-in while the House is in full session, though she seems more focused on being sworn in than the ceremony itself, actively seeking to meet with Johnson.

Democrats argue that Johnson earlier used a pro forma session to quickly swear in two Florida Republicans after their special election victories, suggesting a double standard. They believe Grijalva’s seating could make her the 218th vote needed for pushing a petition on the Epstein files.

Jeffries criticized the fast-tracking of Republican representatives while delaying newly elected Democrats as “an unacceptable disgrace.” Johnson has voiced his opposition to the Epstein bill, concerned it might release identities of Epstein’s victims against their will, a claim the bill’s proponents strongly dispute. He prefers an ongoing investigation into Epstein by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Johnson noted that his committee’s lawyers were reviewing Epstein’s estate files in New York during the government shutdown.

The controversy around Epstein is also connected to former President Trump, who had ties with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking minors. Trump’s name appeared in a book celebrating Epstein’s 50th birthday, and his signature is contested; he and the White House assert it’s not genuine.

Furthermore, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump earlier this year that he would be mentioned in undisclosed Epstein files, leading to suspicions that Republican leadership is stalling the Epstein bill to shield Trump and other wealthy individuals from damaging information—an accusation that Johnson firmly rejects.