House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is promising “swift legal action” if Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) is not sworn in on Friday, a threat Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) brushed off as he insists he will swear in the congresswoman-elect when the government shutdown ends.
During a press conference on Friday, Jeffries said “all options are on the table” regarding Grijalva’s delayed swearing-in ceremony.
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“This has gone on now for weeks,” Jeffries said. “And so it’s my expectation that if she is not sworn in today, during the pro forma session today, as the attorney general from Arizona has made clear, expect swift and decisive legal action.”
His remarks come after he sent a letter to Johnson on Thursday, demanding Grijalva be sworn in as she won her special election nearly a month ago.
“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 wrote.
Democrats, as they have for weeks, called on the presiding GOP officer during Friday’s pro forma session to swear in Grijalva. And, as expected, Rep. Craig Goldman (R-TX) adjourned the House without recognizing the Democrats.
Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ), a member of the Arizona delegation, and Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) have led several requests on the House floor but have been ignored each time.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sent a letter to Johnson on Tuesday stating that failure to swear in Grijalva or provide a “reasonable explanation” for when the ceremony will occur will “prompt legal action.”
Johnson brushed off Mayes’s and Jeffries’s legal threats during his press conference a half hour later on Friday, saying he thought “Hakeem was a better attorney than that.”
“It’s a publicity stunt by a Democrat attorney general in Arizona who sees a national moment and wants to call me up,” the speaker added. “She has nothing whatsoever to do with what’s happening in Congress.”
A spokesperson for Mayes told the Washington Examiner before the pro forma that if Grijalva is not sworn in, “litigation will be filed imminently.” The spokesperson did not specify a timeline.
As the shutdown enters its fourth week and the House reaches almost a straight month of recess, Democrats have become increasingly vocal in demanding that Johnson swear in Grijalva, who will succeed her late father.
Dozens from the Democratic Women’s Caucus and other Democrats marched to Johnson’s office on Tuesday, chanting, “Swear her in.” But Johnson was not there because he was attending the Charlie Kirk Medal of Freedom ceremony at the White House.
The swearing-in dilemma has been a thorn in Johnson’s side for weeks, with the speaker visibly frustrated that he keeps being pressed on the issue. He has repeatedly told reporters that he plans to swear in Grijalva once the government reopens.
“Rep.-elect Grijalva has been congratulated for winning her late father’s seat; we love that,” Johnson said. “We’re going to administer the oath to her as soon as we get to our regular legislative session. I’ve said a thousand times, that’s the issue.”
Rep. Johnny Olszewski (D-MD), who asked Goldman to recognize him in Friday’s pro forma to demand Grijalva be sworn in, said he’s disappointed with the “lack of leadership” in the House.
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“This is a point where Speaker Johnson is not following his own standard,” Olszewski told reporters after the House adjourned, referring to his swearing in of Reps. Jimmy Patronis (R-FL) and Randy Fine (R-FL) the day after they won their special elections.
“Speaker Johnson has different goal posts; they constantly move. … There should be absolutely no excuse. The election has been certified,” he added.
