Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva has been waiting for weeks to officially start her job in Congress, but when she finally got the keys to her new office on Tuesday, she walked into what she called “just a space” — no internet, no phones, no computers, nothing.
Grijalva, a Democrat from Arizona, won a special election on September 23 with a landslide 69% of the vote, defeating her Republican opponent in the state’s 7th District. She’s set to succeed her father, the late Rep. Raul Grijalva, who passed away in March. But there’s just one problem — she hasn’t been sworn in yet.
House Republicans have been slow to make it official, blaming the government shutdown for the delay. Still, many believe something else is behind the holdup.
Grijalva and others have suggested that Speaker Mike Johnson and GOP leaders are intentionally stalling because her vote could be the deciding one to release the long-awaited Jeffrey Epstein files. If sworn in, Grijalva would be the 218th vote needed to pass the bill. She’s made it clear she supports making the documents public.
The push to release the Epstein files — which could reveal new details about the late sex offender’s powerful connections — has gained major attention, even from former President Donald Trump’s supporters. The issue has sparked bipartisan interest in transparency, with growing calls for the House to act.
Meanwhile, Grijalva’s situation in Washington has become increasingly frustrating. She told Politico reporter Nicholas Wu that when she finally got into her assigned office, she found it completely empty. “I just got keys, but the phone lines aren’t working,” she said. “There is no internet, no computers. It’s just a space.”
Without being sworn in, she can’t hire staff, use congressional resources, or even bypass Capitol security like other members of Congress. Late last month, she said she felt powerless to help her district while being forced to wait on procedural excuses.
So on Tuesday, she decided to make some noise. Grijalva joined a group of House Democrats who marched to Speaker Johnson’s office, chanting “swear her in” and holding signs demanding action. Johnson wasn’t there, according to Politico, and the group eventually left.
Grijalva later posted a short video on social media showing the march and addressing the Speaker directly. “Speaker Johnson,” she wrote, “You ready to swear me in?”
In the clip, she reminded viewers that Arizona officials had already certified her victory in the special election. “Now they’re asking Speaker Johnson — demanding — that he swear me in,” she said.
Grijalva added that she planned to stay in Washington for two days to continue pressing for her swearing-in. “So that’s why I’m here,” she said. “I’m not leaving until he does the right thing.”
For now, her office remains empty and her title unofficial — a symbol of a political standoff that’s getting harder to ignore.