U.S. Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva is expected to be sworn in this week, ahead of the House vote on a government funding bill, Scripps News has confirmed.
Grijalva won a special election in Arizona's 7th congressional district in late September, but House Speaker Mike Johnson refused to swear her in. He said it was due to the House not being in session, which has been prolonged due to the government shutdown.
Grijalva publicly pushed back, noting that the House often holds pro forma sessions during shutdowns, brief meetings that allow members to conduct procedural business even when regular legislative work is paused.
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She and the Arizona attorney general also filed a lawsuit against the U.S. House of Representatives seeking to ensure she is sworn in.
Johnson, however, maintained that Grijalva would be sworn in once the House returned to full session.
Grijalva and some of her supporters have argued that Johnson delayed the swearing-in because she has pledged to sign a discharge petition that would force a House vote to release the so-called Epstein files. Johnson has denied that accusation, saying the delay had nothing to do with the petition.
