Tempers flared on Capitol Hill this week as a partisan battle over the swearing-in of Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) reached a fever pitch, with Democrats accusing House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) of stonewalling her entry to Congress for political gain. The controversy, which has unfolded in the shadow of a government shutdown and the ongoing fight over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, has exposed deep divisions in the House and left Arizona’s 7th District without representation for weeks.
Adelita Grijalva, who won a special election on September 23, 2025, to succeed her late father, Rep. Raúl Grijalva, has been at the center of a political storm since her victory. Despite the election being officially certified and uncontested, Grijalva has yet to be sworn in. According to Nexstar Media Inc., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) sent a pointed letter to Speaker Johnson on October 16, demanding that Grijalva be sworn in during a pro forma session scheduled for October 17 at 2 p.m. "Her election has been officially certified by the state of Arizona. In fact, it was never in question," Jeffries wrote. "Yet, for more than three weeks House Republicans have denied the people of Arizona’s 7th district their rightful representation in Congress. The continued refusal to seat Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva for partisan advantage undermines the integrity of this institution."
The stakes of the standoff are high. Grijalva is poised to become the decisive 218th signature on a discharge petition that would force a House vote on releasing the long-sought Jeffrey Epstein files. The files, which are believed to contain explosive information about the late financier’s associates and activities, have become a flashpoint for both parties. Democrats, and some prominent Republicans, suspect GOP leaders are blocking the legislation to shield former President Donald Trump and other high-profile Republicans from potential embarrassment. Johnson, however, has denied these allegations, insisting his opposition is rooted in concerns about victim privacy.
Speaker Johnson’s handling of the situation has drawn intense scrutiny. Since Grijalva’s election, he has canceled all scheduled House sessions—a tactic aimed at pressuring Senate Democrats to support a Republican spending bill, but which also contributed to the government shutdown that began on October 1. Johnson has said he won’t call the House back to Washington until Democrats help reopen the government. In the meantime, he has refused to use pro forma sessions—brief, routine meetings that allow the chamber to recess without the other’s consent—to swear in Grijalva. Johnson has argued that Grijalva deserves the “pomp and circumstance” of a full House ceremony, but critics see a double standard. As Nexstar Media Inc. reports, Democrats point out that in April, Johnson used pro forma sessions to swiftly swear in two Florida Republicans following their special election victories.
Grijalva herself, undeterred by the lack of ceremony, has been in Washington urging Johnson to seat her. She has made it clear that her priority is not the pageantry, but the ability to serve her constituents and participate in critical votes. The delay has not gone unnoticed by her colleagues. On October 15, Grijalva led a group of congressional Democrats in a march to Johnson’s office, chanting “Swear her in” and brandishing signs with the same demand. According to Mediaite, the demonstration became heated when Fox News reporter Aishah Hasnie asked House Minority Leader Jeffries if he supported the protest. Democrats responded angrily, with one shouting, “You’re lying!” and another insisting, “It’s the people’s office!”
The tension surrounding Grijalva’s swearing-in is inseparable from the larger battle over the Epstein files. Johnson has made his opposition to the discharge petition clear, warning that it could inadvertently reveal the names of Epstein’s victims against their wishes—a claim the bill’s sponsors reject. Instead, he supports a separate investigation by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, whose attorneys have been combing through Epstein estate files in New York during the shutdown, according to Nexstar Media Inc.
The Epstein controversy has drawn in former President Trump, whose connections to Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell have long been a subject of public interest. Trump’s name appears in a so-called “birthday book” from Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003, a document delivered to the Oversight Committee under subpoena. The White House has dismissed the signature as a fake, but the scrutiny has only intensified. Earlier this year, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi informed Trump that he appears in unreleased Justice Department files related to Epstein, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The combination of these revelations has fueled suspicions among Democrats that Republican leaders are stonewalling the Epstein bill to protect Trump and other wealthy allies from damaging disclosures—a charge Johnson has adamantly denied.
For Johnson, the impasse is about process and precedent. He maintains that Grijalva should be sworn in with the full House present, preserving the dignity of the occasion. "The decision to seat right-wing Republicans with record speed, while denying a newly elected Democrat the opportunity to serve is an unacceptable disgrace," Jeffries countered in his letter, highlighting what Democrats see as a clear case of partisan obstruction.
The government shutdown has only heightened the sense of urgency. With the House in recess and vital legislation stalled, the absence of Arizona’s 7th District representative has real consequences for constituents. Grijalva’s supporters argue that the delay undermines democratic norms and deprives voters of their voice at a critical moment.
Behind the partisan rhetoric, a broader question looms: how will Congress navigate its internal conflicts while maintaining public trust in its institutions? The episode has exposed not just procedural disputes, but deep-seated mistrust between the parties. As lawmakers spar over rules and representation, the American public is left to wonder whether political gamesmanship will continue to trump the basic functioning of government.
Meanwhile, the battle over the Epstein files rages on. The House Oversight Committee’s investigation continues, with attorneys poring over documents in New York. Whether the discharge petition will ultimately succeed—and what secrets the files might reveal—remains to be seen. But for now, the fight over Adelita Grijalva’s seat has become a symbol of the larger struggle for transparency, accountability, and fair play in Washington.
As the Capitol remains mired in gridlock, the eyes of the nation are fixed on the House. The outcome of this standoff will not only determine the fate of one representative, but may also set the tone for how Congress handles its most contentious battles in the months to come.