'Swear In Adelita Grijalva': Dems Accuse Johnson of Obstruction to Stop Vote on Epstein Files

The US federal shutdown was set to continue at least through the weekend after the Senate on Friday rejected two competing bills to reopen the government—a Democratic proposal to restore more than $1 trillion for healthcare programs and a Republican plan to keep funding at its current level through November 21—and the shutdown is stopping House Speaker Mike Johnson from calling lawmakers back into session.

Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) pointed to one key reason the Republican leader is stopping the House from taking up any legislative business—and it wasn't over concerns about undocumented immigrants obtaining "free healthcare," which the GOP has baselessly claimed is part of the Democrats' funding plan.

The government is shut down and Johnson (R-La.) is keeping the House out of session because Democrats "have secured the final vote on releasing the Epstein files and they don’t want it out," said Ocasio-Cortez Friday, referring to files that pertain to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who was a friend of President Donald Trump.

Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the daughter of progressive champion Raúl Grijalva and a longtime leader in southern Arizona, easily won the election to succeed her late father and represent the state's 7th District in Congress last month.

Once she takes office, the Republicans will have a narrower majority in the US House of 219-214, and a bipartisan group of lawmakers will have the 218th vote they need to force a vote on ordering the US Department of Justice to release unredacted files on Epstein.

Before her victory last month, Grijalva said she would sign the bipartisan discharge petition to circumvent Johnson—who has refused to call a vote on releasing the files, which Trump opposes despite having promised his base their release during his campaign.

"Congress must fulfill its duty to check the executive branch and hold Trump accountable," said Grijalva last month.

Ocasio-Cortez suggested Johnson has little interest in allowing that to happen, but urged voters to "call the GOP and tell them to swear in Adelita Grijalva."

The advocacy group Demand Progress is leading a campaign that has pushed Americans to send nearly 300,000 messages and make more than 4,000 calls demanding that Congress ensure the Epstein files are released.

“Speaker Johnson is willing to keep the government shut down for two more weeks, which conveniently delays the impending vote on releasing the Epstein files," said Cavan Kharrazian, senior policy adviser for Demand Progress. "By cancelling House votes, Johnson is single-handedly prolonging the government shutdown while shielding some of the world’s most wealthy and powerful people from accountability for being in league with a convicted child sex trafficker. The nation is in crisis. It’s time for the speaker to stop playing political games, come back to work, swear in Adelita Grijalva, and finally let Congress vote on releasing the Epstein files.”

Ocasio-Cortez's comments echoed the demand of 180 House Democrats who signed a letter to Johnson on Thursday, demanding that the speaker allow Grijalva be sworn in and rebuking the Republican leader for not allowing her ceremony to move forward on Tuesday during a pro forma session—pointing out that Reps. Randy Fine (R-Fla.) and Jimmy Patronis (R-Fla.) were sworn in during pro forma sessions earlier this year.

"As you know, Rep.-elect Grijalva won the special election for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District in a landslide, by roughly 40 points," wrote the Democrats. "Historically, in such decisive special elections, reps.-elect are sworn in as soon as possible. This April, two reps.-elect from Florida were sworn in during pro forma sessions just 24 hours after they were elected."

The Democrats also noted that the House has received all "appropriate paperwork" from Arizona to officially seat Grijalva.

In a video posted on social media before the shutdown began, Grijalva warned that "every day that I am here without being sworn in, southern Arizona loses."

"Earlier this year, two Republicans in Florida were sworn in during pro forma sessions less than 24 hours after their elections," said Grijalva. "The fact that southern Arizona is being treated differently raises serious questions about political motivations—especially since I have pledged to become the 218th signature on the discharge petition to force a vote on the Epstein files."

"Our community deserves a seat at the table," added Grijalva, "not partisan obstruction."

This article has been updated to include a comment from Demand Progress.