PHOENIX, AZ – Arizona‌ Attorney General Kris Mayes issued a threat of legal action against House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday, January ‌23, 2024, over the continued delay in ‌seating Rep.-elect‍ Adelita Grijalva.

In a formal letter addressed to Speaker⁣ Johnson, Mayes asserted that the delay violates the U.S. Constitution by unnecessarily postponing⁢ Grijalva’s swearing-in ceremony. “Arizona’s ⁣right to a full delegation, and⁤ the right of the residents of CD 7 to portrayal from the person they recently voted for, are not up for debate and‍ may​ not be delayed or used⁤ as leverage in negotiations about unrelated legislation,” Mayes wrote.

Grijalva secured a special election victory last month in‍ Arizona’s 7th​ Congressional District,a reliably Democratic area,to succeed her late father,former Rep. Raúl Grijalva. Speaker Johnson has stated that Grijalva will be sworn in when the House reconvenes,contingent upon a broader agreement to reopen the federal government.This position contrasts⁤ with earlier statements to reporters indicating Grijalva could be sworn in “as⁣ soon as she wants.”