Democrats Intensify Efforts to Urge Speaker Mike Johnson to Officially Seat Rep.-Elect Adelita Grijalva

WASHINGTON — In a heightened effort, Democrats are intensifying their demands on House Speaker Mike Johnson to officially recognize Rep.-elect Elita Grijalva. They have organized a protest outside his office, held press briefings, and are contemplating legal action to compel him to induct the latest Democratic member into Congress.

Elita Grijalva secured victory in Arizona’s House seat, succeeding her father, the late progressive stalwart Rep. Raul Grijalva, during a special election held on September 23. However, her swearing-in has been delayed as the House has remained inactive due to the ongoing government shutdown stalemate.

Despite Grijalva’s persistent presence around the Capitol, awaiting the oath, Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, has maintained for the past two weeks that he will not proceed with the swearing-in until the government resumes operations.

Once Grijalva takes her seat, the composition of the House will shift to 219 Republicans against 214 Democrats. Furthermore, she is anticipated to provide the decisive vote necessary to initiate a House motion for the release of the Justice Department’s files on Jeffrey Epstein.

In response, Democrats are adopting more assertive strategies to pressure Johnson into changing his stance.

On Tuesday night, Grijalva and members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus marched to Johnson’s office, chanting “Swear her in!” A U.S. Capitol Police officer briefly tried to stop lawmakers and could be seen on video getting into a short verbal altercation with Rep. Nanette Barragán, D-Calif. She claimed that the officer grabbed her, but a video only shows her pushing past an officer into the speaker’s foyer. Capitol Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In remarks outside Johnson’s office, Grijalva said she has heard “not one word” from the speaker.

“I am a woman of color from Arizona, and 700,000 people deserve to have their voice heard, …” Grijlava said. “Let’s just be really clear, if I were a Republican, I would have already been sworn, and that is not acceptable. They’re afraid of me signing and being the 218th signer to the Epstein petition.”

Johnson was not in the Capitol during the protest. But Arizona’s two Democratic senators — Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly — verbally sparred with Johnson in the same spot just last week over his refusal to immediately seat Grijalva.

Tuesday night’s protest came on the same day that top Arizona state officials certified the results of Grijalva’s election victory. And on Tuesday, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, a Democrat, sent a letter to Johnson threatening to sue if he did not seat Grijalva or set a date to do so.

“Failing to seat Ms. Grijalva immediately or to otherwise provide a reasonable explanation as to when she will be seated will prompt legal action,” Mayes wrote.

She added: “You and your staff have provided ever-shifting, unsatisfactory, and sometimes absurd stories as to why Ms. Grijalva has not been sworn in. In a particularly worrisome comment, an aide connected the swearing-in and admission to the ongoing budget fight, suggesting that the House is trying to use Arizona’s constitutional right to representation in the House as a bargaining chip.”

When asked about Mayes’ letter, Johnson said in a short statement, “The House will follow customary practice by swearing in Rep-elect Grijalva when the House is in legislative session.”

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Johnson accused Democrats of “playing political games” and disrespecting police by protesting at his office.

“They stormed my office. Maybe you saw some of the video online that they themselves shared. … They berated a Capitol Police officer, screamed at him. He was just merely standing his post. It shows, again, their disdain for law enforcement, as we see all around the country … and it shows their desperation.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., Grijalva and other Democrats have pointed out that Johnson, in April, swore in two Florida Republicans — Rep. Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine — shortly after their special elections, while the House was out of town.

Johnson has argued it was because the pair of Floridians had family in Washington at the time, so he did it as a courtesy to accommodate visiting family members. He also told reporters Tuesday he wants to ensure Grijalva has “all the pomp and circumstance” of having a full chamber in session to witness her being sworn in.

And the speaker has repeatedly said the delay has nothing to do with the effort to force a vote on the Epstein files.

Following the Tuesday protest, Democrats in both the Arizona delegation and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on Wednesday stood in front of the Capitol and again demanded he administer the oath of office.

“I don’t need bells and whistles,” Grijalva said, rejecting the speaker’s explanation. “I don’t need pomp and circumstance. I just need to get to work for southern Arizona.”

Kelly, the Arizona senator, noted he and his family live in Grijalva’s district, which extends along the southern border from Yuma to Tucson.

“We currently do not have representation in the U.S. House of Representatives,” Kelly said, “and that is wrong.”