House Speaker Mike Johnson has promised to finally swear in Adelita Grijalva — now that enough Senate Democrats have signed on to Republicans’ spending bill to end the government shutdown.
According to a source on a private conference call with House Republicans on Monday, Johnson, R-La., said that the “first order of business will be to administer the oath to Grijalva,” who was elected in a special election in September to represent Arizona’s 7th Congressional District.
The person spoke about the call on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly.
Until now, Johnson has delayed Grijalva’s swearing in, repeatedly saying she would be seated once the government reopens.
Grijalva and House Democrats argued that Johnson’s stance was arbitrary and that nothing prevented him from calling the House back into session to swear her in.
Grijalva and Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sued the U.S. House in October, arguing that the delay was denying “Arizona’s right to full representation in Congress.”
“This delay never should have never happened in the first place,” Grijalva said on Monday after hearing of Johnson’s relenting on swearing her in.
“For seven weeks, 813,000 Arizonans have been denied a voice and access to basic constituent services. This is an abuse of power that no speaker should have,” she said. Johnson said the House is on track for a Wednesday vote on the spending bill, according to the source who was on the call. “While I am eager to get to work,” Grijalva said, “I am disappointed that one of my first votes will be on a bill that does nothing to protect working people from skyrocketing premiums, loss of health coverage, or do anything significant to rein in Trump’s abuse of power.” Grijalva’s official entry into Congress also means she will be the final signature on a petition to force a House vote to release files related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which some House Democrats speculated was the reason for Johnson’s delay.
Erum Salam is a breaking news reporter and producer for MS NOW. She previously was a breaking news reporter for The Guardian.
Latest Post
Recommended
