Adelita Grijalva can drive a vote on the Epstein information, however she’s nonetheless not sworn in : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5000x3333+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fdd%2F46%2Fc1a24a86445987ed99596fb2ac7a%2Fap25288594287001.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5000x3333+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fdd%2F46%2Fc1a24a86445987ed99596fb2ac7a%2Fap25288594287001.jpg" class="img" alt="Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., speaks as she is surrounded by supporters who have urged that House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., swear her in, at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday." fetchpriority="high"/> Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, D-Ariz., speaks exterior the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. J. Scott Applewhite/AP disguise caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP Greater than three weeks after successful her congressional race, Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva by no means imagined her struggle to get sworn into workplace would take this lengthy.

The Arizona Democrat has keys to her workplace, however not a lot else.

"I've no employees ... The telephones do not work. There is not any pc," Grijalva says from her sparsely furnished workplace on Capitol Hill. "We do not have a authorities e-mail."

That bumpy begin to Grijalva's new political profession in Washington is courtesy of the identical intense, partisan tensions which have come to dominate the 119th Congress.

Home Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., says he will not swear in Grijalva till the federal government shutdown is over.

"That is the method of the Home, we'll do it as quickly as we get again to enterprise," he stated.

It is a departure for Johnson, who has beforehand sworn in new members from each events inside days of successful their races.

The Speaker had beforehand stated he would swear within the winner of the Arizona race as quickly as they needed. He later stated the winner ought to benefit from the "pomp and circumstance" that is a part of the ceremony, however solely out there when the federal government is open.

Consequently, Johnson is dealing with accusations from each side of the aisle that he is making an attempt to keep away from a vote to compel the discharge of information from the Justice Division's investigation into convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Grijalva received her seat on Sept. twenty third in a particular election to characterize the state's seventh congressional district — a border district that features components of Tucson.

On the marketing campaign path, Grijalva promised to signal onto a bipartisan petition to drive a vote within the Home to launch the Epstein information. Hers would mark the decisive 218th signature to set off that vote — an effort that is been led by Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

"I keep in mind on election evening, somebody got here as much as me and stated, 'I do not assume they will swear you in due to these Epstein information,'" Grijalva says. "And I assumed, 'oh my gosh, that is very a lot a conspiracy principle. Like that is not going to occur.' And right here we're."

Johnson has known as claims that he is making an attempt to delay Grijalva's swearing in a "partisan manufactured factor."

He says Republicans are already engaged on releasing data as a part of an investigation being led by the GOP-led Home Oversight Committee.

"The bulldogs in Congress are on that committee, they usually're all joined collectively in a bipartisan style digging by way of and releasing paperwork," Johnson instructed reporters earlier this week.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5555x3703+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6e%2F52%2Fd68cdb734a0bb3fd4ba4af882956%2Fap25288585244539.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5555x3703+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F6e%2F52%2Fd68cdb734a0bb3fd4ba4af882956%2Fap25288585244539.jpg" class="img" alt="Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., arrives to talk to reporters about the government shutdown on Capitol Hill on Wednesday." loading="lazy"/> Speaker of the Home Mike Johnson, R-La., arrives to speak to reporters concerning the authorities shutdown on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. J. Scott Applewhite/AP disguise caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP Johnson's explanations have infuriated Grijalva's supporters. Democrats have taken to the Home flooring to name for her to be seated. On Tuesday, a gaggle of lawmakers marched to Johnson's workplace chanting, "Swear her in."

The delay has additionally angered these hoping for a vote on the Epstein information. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., has accused Johnson of "defending pedophiles," and through a tense alternate exterior of the Speaker's workplace final week, stated Johnson was delaying the swearing in as a result of he doesn't need Grijalva to signal the discharge petition. Johnson known as the allegation "completely absurd," saying Democrats are "specialists at purple herrings."

The standoff may very well be inching its manner towards the courts. On Tuesday, after the state licensed Grijalva's election outcomes, Arizona Legal professional Basic Kris Mayes threatened authorized motion to attempt to drive the oath of workplace.

Grijalva is the daughter of her predecessor — the late Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who held the seat for greater than 20 years till his loss of life from lung most cancers in March.