Arizona Rep. Adelita Grijalva was sworn into the House of Representatives on Wednesday, more than seven weeks after winning election to represent Arizona’s 7th Congressional District.
Her entry to the House has become a national headline amid a record-long government shutdown and while Democrats push to organize a discharge petition that would compel a vote on the release of documents related to the investigation into sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Hours before being sworn in to Congress, then Rep.-elect Grijalva told Scripps News she believes the weeks-long delay was a direct result of her commitment to sign the petition to release the Epstein files.
“I absolutely do believe there’s a connection because Representative Walkinshaw won his special election September 9th, sworn in on the 10th. I actually won my election five days before the shutdown and what Speaker Johnson continued to do is make excuses about why I wasn't getting sworn in," Grijalva said.
Less than an hour after she was sworn in, Rep. Grijalva's signature appeared on the petition.
If the balance of signatures remains the above the necessary threshold, the House is expected to undertake its vote sometime in December at the earliest. Members are permitted to add or remove their signatures until then.
RELATED STORY | More than a month after her election win, Johnson to finally swear in Grijalva
Despite her frustrations, Grijalva said she plans to approach Johnson “professionally and respectfully,” but will tell him directly how “disappointed and angry” she is about the delay.
Grijalva will represent Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, a seat previously held by her late father. She will serve more than 800,000 constituents.
She narrows the margin held by Republicans in the chamber to 220-214.
RELATED STORY | 'Let me do my job': Arizona Democrat says Speaker Johnson hasn’t contacted her about being sworn in
The Democrat, daughter of longtime Rep. Raúl Grijalva, said she plans to join the Congressional Progressive Caucus and focus on public education, environmental justice and affordability for working families.
"I think, you know, my father and I had the same values. How we approach situations is going to be a little different because Congress now is very different than it was when my dad got here," she said.
Grijalva said she’ll oppose the Republican bill to reopen the government, accusing the GOP of being “cruel” in handling the shutdown and noting the continuing resolution does not address subsidies for the Affordable Care Act.
