Grijalva assumes role in Congress after 7-week delay: "It's really an injustice"

Washington – For 50 days, Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona had nary fund and couldn't prosecute unit oregon unfastened up her offices. That changed this week erstwhile she was officially sworn successful arsenic the newest subordinate of Congress. 

"It's been 50 days of waiting," Grijalva said successful an interrogation with CBS News aft her swearing-in Wednesday. "And truthful the emotions tally the gamut of frustration, anger, happiness, sadness, I mean, each emotion you tin deliberation of. It's truly an injustice for 813,000 radical successful confederate Arizona to person not had a dependable successful Congress due to the fact that of an obstruction from 1 person." 

Grijalva faults House Speaker Mike Johnson for holding up her swearing-in for 7 weeks portion the House was successful recess. 

Grijalva was elected to Congress successful a Sept. 23 peculiar election. But Johnson kept the House retired of session from Sept. 19 until Wednesday of this week, erstwhile the assemblage returned to ballot connected a Senate-passed measure to extremity a 43-day-long authorities shutdown. The talker maintained that Grijalva couldn't beryllium sworn successful until the House returns, drafting disapproval from Democrats and a lawsuit from the Arizona lawyer general.

"I deliberation it was strategic," Grijalva said of the delay. "I deliberation that helium was trying to forestall the merchandise of the Epstein files. And I cognize that if I were a Republican, I would not person been waiting."

Within minutes of her swearing-in, Grijalva became the final signatory needed for a discharge petition to unit a ballot to compel the Department of Justice to merchandise each of its files pertaining to the precocious convicted enactment offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

"I committed to it, and I judge precise powerfully that it is astir getting justness for the survivors," she said.

Johnson has indicated helium whitethorn clasp a ballot connected the substance arsenic soon arsenic adjacent week. It's not wide if the Senate volition instrumentality it up if it clears the House.

The House talker tried to creaseless things implicit with Grijalva during a mock swearing-in ceremonial Wednesday erstwhile asked astir the hold successful seating her.

"Look, I truly similar this lady," the Louisiana Republican told reporters. "She whitethorn not hold with me, but we followed the customized of the House connected the timetable, and we've had a little, arsenic we say, successful the Deep South, immoderate aggravated fellowship astir that but she's present now."

Grijalva told CBS News she doesn't bargain the speaker's mentation and pointed to different members who were sworn successful rapidly erstwhile the House was retired of session. In April, Republican Reps. Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine were sworn successful a time aft peculiar elections successful Florida, during little "pro forma" sessions of the House. Democratic Rep. James Walkinshaw of Virginia was besides sworn successful a time aft winning a peculiar predetermination successful September. 

"I deliberation that we've seen that nether this Speaker, helium swore radical successful a pro forma successful nether 24 hours," she argued. "I was elected earlier the shutdown. The shutdown has thing to bash with Congress opening." 

Johnson argues Fine and Patronis were special cases due to the fact that the House "unexpectedly went retired of session" connected the time of their swearing-in, truthful Johnson went guardant with the ceremonial "as a courtesy to them" since their families had flown into town.

Grijalva enters her relation arsenic the national authorities emerges from the longest shutdown successful modern history. Congress passed a measure this week that volition support the authorities funded until precocious January.

"When I had the accidental to talk one-on-one with Speaker Johnson, I said, 'Can we enactment towards an yearly budget?" she recalled. "I mean, is that thing unheard of for this medication due to the fact that we can't proceed to bash this again."

Grijalva is the archetypal Latina to correspond Arizona's seventh legislature district, a spot antecedently held by her precocious father, Rep. Raul Grijalva, who served successful Congress for much than 2 decades. The seasoned progressive congressman, who erstwhile chaired the House Natural Resources Committee, died successful March of complications from crab treatments.

Grijalva has been moving retired of his aged bureau and believes he'd person a connection for her arsenic she follows successful his footsteps successful Congress.  

"I deliberation he'd beryllium precise proud," she reflected. "Good for you, mi hija, support fighting. Don't fto them propulsion you around."