WASHINGTON (AP) — As house return Democratic Party on Wednesday for the first time in several months. Adelita Grijalva More than seven weeks after winning a special election in Arizona to fill the seat she last held, she will be sworn in as its newest member. late father.
Grijalva’s oath is expected to be one of the first actions House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, has ever taken to swear Grijalva into office. He had previously refused to seat Grijalva until the House reconvened following an agreement to end the session. government shutdown. The official ceremony is scheduled for shortly before 4 p.m. ET. house is expected Start voting.
For Grijalva, this marks the end of weeks of delays aimed at preventing her and other Democrats from signing a petition that would eventually trigger a vote to release relevant files. Jeffrey Epstein. In an interview with The Associated Press, she said the thought of finally taking office was “emotional” and “just a roller coaster.”
“It’s still surreal because we’ve been waiting for this for so long,” she added.
busy first day
Grijalva’s arrival marks the return of hundreds of House members and begins a busy day at the Capitol, but their journey could potentially be complicated by travel delays caused by the government shutdown.
Lawmakers who win special elections typically take the oath of office on the day Congressional business is conducted. However, the House of Commons has been out of session since September 19, and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would swear her into office once everyone returned. Earlier this year, he swore in two Republican members of Congress while Congress was in session.
“In this case, I don’t think he takes anything he’s doing personally,” Grijalva said. “It feels personal because it literally has my name on it. I also know that if I were a Republican I would have been sworn in seven weeks ago.”
She will begin her term in the House by voting on the government reopening bill passed by the Senate. Mr. Grijalva and most Democrats are expected to oppose the bill because it does not extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits that expire at the end of the year. Republicans still have a chance to pass the bill with a slim majority.
218th signature on Epstein release petition
Mr. Grijalva will be the final signature required on the discharge petition related to a law requiring the release of all unclassified documents and communications related to the Department of Justice. Epstein and his sex trafficking activities.
The Epstein File Transparency Act was co-sponsored by Rep. Thomas Massey, Republican of Kentucky, and Rep. Ro Khanna, Democrat of California, and supported by all Democrats and three Republicans: Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, and Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina.
Grijalva can add his signature to the petition after being sworn into office. But under House rules, her action does not mean an immediate vote.
Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, said he expected a vote on the Epstein bill in early December.
released email Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are likely to reignite interest in the issue on Wednesday. In a 2011 email, Epstein wrote that Donald Trump “spent many hours” with sex-trafficking victims at Epstein’s home, and in another message years later, Trump said he “knew the girls.”
“Democrats selectively leaked emails to liberal media outlets to create a false narrative to smear President Trump,” White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said in a statement.
Leavitt and Republicans on the committee said the person in question was Virginia Giuffre, who accused Epstein of arranging sexual encounters with his wealthy and powerful friends. Before her death this year, Giuffre had long maintained that President Trump was not among the men who sacrificed her.
Arizona’s first Latino senator
Adelita’s father, Rep. Raul Grijalva, died in March after more than 20 years in the House of Representatives, building a reputation as a staunch progressive.
Adelita Grijalva has been active in local politics for many years. She served on the Tucson Unified School District board before joining the Pima County Board of Supervisors, becoming the second woman to lead the board.
she won September 23rd special election She could easily complete the remainder of her father’s term and represents a predominantly Hispanic district where Democrats enjoy a nearly 2-to-1 voter registration advantage over Republicans. Grijalva said the win was emotional.
“I’d rather have a father than have an office,” she said.
She told The Associated Press that environmental justice, tribal sovereignty and public education are among her priorities, echoing the causes her father championed.
“We know the bar has been set very high and expectations are high for what we will be able to do once we take office,” she said.
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This article has been corrected to reflect that Adelita Grijalva was elected more than seven weeks ago, instead of almost seven weeks ago.
