Speaker Johnson refuses to swear in Democrat Adelita Grijalva
House Speaker Mike Johnson faced mounting criticism in a Sunday ABC News interview as he struggled to explain his refusal to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), who won a special election on September 23 but remains unable to take her seat in Congress nearly a month later.
Johnson maintained that he would administer Grijalva’s oath of office only when the House reconvenes in legislative session, despite having previously sworn in Republican members during pro forma sessions earlier this year. When ABC reporter Jonathan Karl pressed Johnson on this inconsistency, the Speaker’s explanation faltered.
“You could swear her in tomorrow, right?” Karl asked pointedly.
“No, not tomorrow, no, we couldn’t, we wouldn’t,” Johnson responded. “There was an exception for two Floridians earlier in this Congress. But the reason was they were duly elected. They had a date set. They flew in all their friends and family and the House went out of session unexpectedly”.
When Karl countered by asking, “So if she flies in friends and family—,” Johnson interjected: “We don’t have a date set. She was elected after we were out of session”.
Precedent and Procedure
Johnson’s explanation contradicts his earlier actions this year, when he swore in Florida Republican Reps. Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine during a pro forma session in April, a procedural session that allows the chamber to technically remain in session without conducting legislative business. The House continues to hold such sessions during the current government shutdown.
Grijalva won her special election with 69 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Daniel Butierez to succeed her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who represented Arizona’s 7th Congressional District for more than two decades before his death in March. She is the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress.
The Epstein Files Connection
Democrats have alleged that Johnson’s delay is strategically motivated by Grijalva’s pledge to become the 218th signature on a discharge petition filed by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) that would force a House vote on legislation requiring the Justice Department to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
“Let’s just be really clear, if I were a Republican, I would have already been sworn [in], and that is not acceptable. They’re afraid of me signing and being the 218th signer to the Epstein petition,” Grijalva said during a Democratic march to Johnson’s office on October 14.
Massie’s discharge petition currently has 217 signatures—211 Democrats and six Republicans, including Massie, Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), and newly sworn Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.). Once Grijalva is seated and signs, the petition would reach the 218-vote threshold needed to bypass leadership and force a floor vote.
President Trump has called the Epstein files issue a “Democrat hoax”, and the White House has privately pressured Republican lawmakers not to sign the petition.
Legal Threats and Political Pressure
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes threatened legal action against Johnson in an October 14 letter, demanding Grijalva be sworn in “without further delay”. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and Secretary of State Adrian Fontes joined Mayes in certifying Grijalva’s September 23 victory and urging Johnson to act.
“It’s way past time” for Johnson to seat Grijalva, Mayes said.
Johnson dismissed the threat as “a publicity stunt by a Democrat Attorney General in Arizona who sees a national moment and wants to call me out”. He added: “She has nothing whatsoever to do with what’s happening in Congress”.
Dozens of House Democrats marched to Johnson’s office on October 14, chanting “swear her in” and demanding immediate action. Johnson, who was not present during the protest, later characterized the demonstration as showing Democrats’ “desperation”.
Impact on Constituents
Grijalva has emphasized that the delay directly harms her constituents in Arizona’s 7th District, which encompasses a large swath of Southern Arizona and six counties. Without being sworn in, she cannot advocate for constituents with federal agencies, has no staff, no functioning office equipment, and no government email account.
“It’s incredibly frustrating,” Grijalva told The Associated Press. “There is no one voting for them, no constituent services, no support”.
The House remains closed as Johnson has shuttered the chamber to pressure Democrats to end the ongoing government shutdown, which has entered its third week. Johnson has the authority to reopen the House or swear in Grijalva during a pro forma session, but continues to insist he will only do so when the chamber returns to a full legislative session.
Once seated, Grijalva’s presence would narrow the Republican majority to 219-214, giving Democrats slightly more leverage in challenging the Trump administration’s agenda.
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