Democrat Grijalva to Be Sworn in Wednesday After Long Delay

Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva will be sworn into the House on Wednesday at 4 p.m., after a weeks-long wait that included Arizona’s attorney general suing for her seating.

The Arizona Democrat was elected in late September, however, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) refused to swear her in while the House was out of session. The chamber hasn’t voted since Sept. 19 as Johnson kept lawmakers in their districts during the shutdown.

Grijalva’s swearing-in, announced by the speaker Tuesday, will precede a vote on Senate-passed funding legislation to reopen the government. Democrats called for Johnson to swear her in during the shutdown, to no avail.

She’ll become the decisive signature on a discharge petition to force a vote on releasing files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. Johnson and President Donald Trump oppose the effort by all Democrats and a few GOP dissidents.