On November 12, 2025, after nearly 50 days of political wrangling and mounting frustration, Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva of Arizona was finally set to be sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives. Her swearing-in, scheduled for the afternoon on the House floor, wasn’t just another ceremonial moment—it marked the end of a prolonged and contentious delay that left more than 800,000 Arizonans without representation during a record-breaking government shutdown, and set the stage for a dramatic showdown over the release of files related to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Grijalva, a Democrat, won a special election on September 23, 2025, to fill the seat left vacant by her late father, longtime Representative Raúl Grijalva, who passed away in March. But while her election was decisive, her path to being seated in Congress was anything but straightforward. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-La.) refused to swear her in during the shutdown, holding off for nearly seven weeks and keeping the House out of session. This move drew sharp criticism from Democrats and left the residents of Arizona’s 7th Congressional District without a voice in Washington at a time when many needed help the most.
"813,000 southern Arizonans haven’t had support during this shutdown because of Speaker Johnson’s lack of transparency and willingness to do his job," Grijalva told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, echoing the frustration felt by her constituents who were met with shuttered offices and unanswered calls. According to NPR, Grijalva described her office as essentially nonfunctional during the delay: "I have no staff ... The phones don't work. There's no computer. We don't have a government email."
Many Democrats, including Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, accused Johnson of intentionally stalling Grijalva’s swearing-in to prevent her from providing the decisive 218th signature on a discharge petition—a maneuver that would force a House vote on releasing additional files related to Jeffrey Epstein. The petition had already been signed by all 213 other Democrats and four Republicans: Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), and Nancy Mace (R-S.C.). Grijalva herself made her position clear on social media in October, writing, "I would be the final vote on releasing the Epstein Files and they don’t want them out. The American people deserve transparency and accountability!"
House Speaker Johnson, however, denied that the delay was a strategic effort to block the Epstein files vote. He insisted, as reported by Nexstar Media and NPR, that the timing was dictated by standard procedure and the ongoing government shutdown. Johnson pointed to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s ongoing investigation into the Epstein matter, highlighting that materials from the Epstein estate—such as the infamous birthday book—had already been released by the committee, and would not have been included in the files targeted by the discharge petition.
Still, the optics of the delay fueled partisan tensions. Democrats marched to Johnson’s office and confronted him directly, demanding that Grijalva be seated. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called the delays "unbelievable," while Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, said the petition could trigger a vote by early December if everything proceeded as planned.
Grijalva herself was determined to address the issue head-on. Speaking to CNN the night before her swearing-in, she said, "It’s undemocratic. It’s unconstitutional. It’s illegal. This kind of obstruction cannot happen again, regardless of party, their job is to swear people in." She added, "I won’t be able to like, sort of move on if I don’t address it personally. And we’ll see what kind of reaction he has." The confrontation was not just about her own experience but about setting a precedent for future lawmakers and ensuring that no district is left voiceless for political reasons.
Beyond the personal and procedural drama, the stakes of Grijalva’s swearing-in were immediately tangible. As soon as she took the oath, she was expected to sign the discharge petition, becoming the critical 218th signature needed to force a House vote on the Epstein files. The push for transparency around Epstein’s associates and activities has been a rare point of bipartisan agreement, but also a source of deep controversy and resistance from House leaders and former President Trump, both of whom oppose the bill and the petition effort.
Grijalva made clear to NPR and CNN that she believed the delay in her seating was directly linked to the Epstein files issue. "I do believe that there is absolutely a connection," she told NPR. "That has resulted in denying representation to more than 800,000 Arizonans for the last seven weeks." She emphasized her commitment to justice for survivors, stating, "Anyone who is implicated needs to deal with the legal consequences for breaking the law and committing horrific crimes against children and women."
The government shutdown that formed the backdrop to this drama was itself the longest in U.S. history, with the House only holding brief pro-forma sessions. Speaker Johnson had previously said he would not swear in Grijalva until the government reopened, a position he maintained even as pressure from both sides of the aisle mounted. The return of lawmakers to Washington on November 12 was timed with a vote on legislation to reopen the government, finally providing the opportunity for Grijalva’s swearing-in.
Yet even as the House prepared to vote on reopening the government, Grijalva was clear that she would not support the bipartisan plan passed by the Senate on November 10, 2025. She told NPR that the concessions secured by Democrats "weren't significant in making a difference for anybody who's fighting to keep their health care." Her stance underscored the ongoing divisions within Congress, not just between the parties but within them as well.
As the dust settles from this high-stakes episode, the broader implications are hard to ignore. The fight over Grijalva’s swearing-in has illuminated the fragility of congressional norms and the power of procedural tactics to thwart representation and delay critical votes. It has also brought renewed attention to the unresolved questions surrounding the Epstein files, and to the persistent demand for transparency and accountability from the American public.
For now, the eyes of Arizona—and much of the nation—are on Adelita Grijalva as she takes her seat in Congress, ready to cast the vote that could finally bring long-sought answers into the light.
