A House leadership aide contradicted Speaker Mike Johnson’s statement that he plans to swear in Representative-Elect Adelita Grijalva as soon as possible. Earlier on Tuesday, Johnson told CNN he intended to move quickly to seat Grijalva, who recently won a special House election in Arizona.
Once sworn in, Grijalva is expected to become the 218th vote needed to pass a bipartisan bill led by Representatives Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Ro Khanna of California. The legislation seeks to compel the release of the long-sealed Jeffrey Epstein files.
However, later in the day, a House leadership aide disputed Johnson’s remarks. “We will swear in Rep.-Elect Adelita Grijalva as soon as the House returns to session when Chuck Schumer, Mark Kelly, and Ruben Gallego decide to open up the government.”
The comment suggests the timing of Grijalva’s swearing-in could depend on whether Democrats agree to vote for measures to reopen the federal government. CNN described the move as “an extraordinary power play to deny a sitting member a seat.”
The aide further explained that “it’s a customary practice in the House to swear in members when the chamber is in legislative session.” But Johnson’s own actions appear to challenge that reasoning. Earlier this year, he seated two Republican members during a pro forma session—one in which no legislative business was conducted.
The issue has sparked questions about whether political maneuvering is influencing what is typically a procedural step. Grijalva’s election adds to the narrow balance of power in the House, where every vote counts amid ongoing negotiations over government funding and bipartisan legislation.
The Massie-Khanna bill, which Grijalva supports, has drawn attention for its aim to make public thousands of documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, whose connections to influential figures have fueled widespread speculation and controversy.
Critics of the delay say withholding Grijalva’s swearing-in over unrelated political disputes undermines democratic norms. Supporters of Johnson’s approach argue that holding to legislative-session protocols is consistent with House tradition.
As of Tuesday evening, there was no official date set for when Grijalva will take the oath of office. The standoff adds another layer of tension to an already divided Congress as lawmakers face growing pressure to end the government shutdown and advance key legislation.