House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) stated on Friday that Democrats will take immediate legal action if House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) does not allow Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to be sworn in.
The Democratic attorney general of Arizona has already signaled plans to file a similar lawsuit against Johnson for his refusal to administer the oath to Grijalva during the current government shutdown.
Jeffries mentioned that he would move forward with legal steps if Johnson does not seat Grijalva during a brief preliminary session of the House set for 2 p.m. on Friday.
“This situation has been ongoing for weeks now,” Jeffries expressed to reporters at the Capitol. “As the Arizona Attorney General has pointed out, we expect prompt legal action if she doesn’t take the oath today,” he added, emphasizing the importance of the session.
Grijalva secured her position in a special election held on September 23, aiming to fill the seat of her late father, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who passed away in March after over two decades in Congress. Johnson has stated that he won’t allow the oath until all House members are back in Washington for a traditional swearing-in ceremony.
“The House aims to follow established protocols and administer the oath of office to Representative Grijalva while the House is in session,” Johnson reiterated this week.
Nonetheless, there is a recent example of newly elected members taking the oath outside of regular sessions. In April, Johnson seated two Florida Republicans during a pro forma session the day after their special election victories.
He claimed he made those exceptions due to the presence of family members in Washington. However, Democrats reject this rationale, suggesting that Johnson’s delay in Grijalva’s oath is tied to the upcoming crucial 218th vote on a discharge petition linked to the release of documents related to late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“It is unacceptable that she hasn’t taken the oath due to Speaker Johnson and House Republicans’ clear intent to keep the Epstein files away from the public,” Jeffries criticized on Friday.
Johnson opposed the Epstein bill, insisting that the matter would be better handled through the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is conducting its investigation. He denied that the delay in swearing in Grijalva is connected to the Epstein situation.
On Tuesday, Arizona Attorney General Chris Mays cautioned Johnson in a letter that her office is reviewing all legal avenues to ensure Grijalva is seated promptly. She asserted that the ongoing delay is unconstitutional.
“Due to your disregard for established procedures, Arizona has lost one representative from its designated number of delegates,” Mays pointed out. “Currently, over 813,000 residents of Arizona’s 7th Congressional District are without representation in Congress.”
