WASHINGTON – House Speaker Mike johnson faced pointed questions Tuesday regarding the delayed swearing-in of โRep. Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), a delay that has prevented her from fully participating โin congressional duties for nearly three months. โขThe situation highlights ongoing tensions and procedural โคhurdles within the narrowly divided House, and raises concernsโ about equitable treatment of all elected officials.
Grijalva won her election in November but has been unable to officially take โoffice due to a dispute over the timing of the โขswearing-in ceremony. The delay stems from a Republican motion to table a resolution to administer the oath of office,โข effectively stalling the process. This prevents Grijalva from voting on legislation, โfully serving her constituents, โคand participating in committee assignments. The situation is especially notable given the House’s โalready slim Republican majority, where every vote is crucial.
during a โpress conference, Johnson appeared uncomfortable when pressedโค by reporters about the delay. A clip circulating on social media shows Johnson repeatedlyโ avoiding a direct โคanswer, stating only that the matter is “being worked through.”โข he offered noโข specificโ timeline for when Grijalva will be sworn in.
“We’re looking at the scheduling issues and trying to work through that,” Johnson said, according โขto the clip. Whenโฃ asked why Grijalva hadn’t been sworn in despite the passage of months, he responded, “It’sโ a complicated situation.”
Democrats have criticized the delay as a partisan tactic to suppress the voice ofโข a progressive Latina representative. Rep. pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) called the situationโข “unacceptable” and accused Republicans of “playing political games.”
The House typically swears in new members promptly after certification of election results. While procedural delays can occur, a delay of this length isโ highly unusual. โTheโค delay impacts not only Grijalva and her constituents but also โคthe functioning of the house, โคas it reduces the Democratic caucus’s voting โขstrength.
The situation remains unresolved as of Wednesday morning, with no immediate plans announced to bring a resolution to the floor.The outcome will likely depend on whether Republicanโข leadership decides to allow a โvoteโค on the swearing-in resolution or continues to delay the process.