Arizona's Fight for a Seated Congresswoman

Arizona's top legal official has taken the U. S. House of Representatives to court. The issue? The refusal to swear in a newly elected Democratic congresswoman. The delay is tied to a government shutdown. The attorney general argues that this is a clear violation of the congresswoman's rights. The speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, claims he's following past practices. He says he won't swear in Adelita Grijalva until the House is back in regular session. This is similar to what happened when Republicans won special elections under former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Johnson insists he's ready to swear her in as soon as the House returns. The lawsuit argues that the Constitution doesn't give the Speaker the power to delay this. It suggests that Johnson's actions might be motivated by political reasons. These include preventing a petition on Jeffrey Epstein's records and gaining leverage in budget talks. Grijalva, the elected congresswoman, wants to meet with Johnson. She hopes to end the public back and forth. She has never spoken to Johnson since her election. The lawsuit points out that Johnson has been in the Capitol and has no valid reason to delay the oath. The attorney general argues that this delay harms both Grijalva and the people of Arizona. They are asking a judge to allow someone else to administer the oath if Johnson continues to refuse. The lawsuit highlights that the Constitution only requires the oath to be taken, not who administers it.