Speaker Johnson continues to resist swearing in Democratic Rep.-elect Grijalva
Written by ABC Audio ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on October 20, 2025
(WASHINGTON) — Speaker Mike Johnson is resisting calls to swear in Democratic Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva, saying Monday that he will administer the oath of office to her after the Senate votes to reopen the government.
As Democrats decry the almost monthlong delay, Johnson has maintained that he is “following the Pelosi precedent” — when three Republicans who had won special elections during recess waited until the House returned to session before then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi swore them into office.
Grijalva won her special election on Sept. 23 — four days after Johnson dismissed lawmakers following House passage of the clean continuing resolution to fund the government. Since the last vote in the House, Republicans have canceled 14 days of legislative business — including four days this week — as the impasse drags on.
“Rep. Grijalva won her race in the I think it was the last week of September after we had already gone out of session, so I will administer the oath to her, hope on the first day we come back [to] legislative session,” Johnson said in a news conference Monday. “I’m willing and anxious to do that.”
While the question has followed the speaker throughout the shutdown, Johnson has shrugged off the delay, denying that his decision is related to Grijalva’s intent to become the 218 signature on a discharge petition forcing a vote to release the Department of Justice’s full Jeffrey Epstein file.
“Instead of doing TikTok videos, she should be serving her constituents. She could be taking their calls. She can be directing them, trying to help them through the crisis that the Democrats have created … by shutting down the government,” Johnson said.
Last week, Grijalva rejected Johnson’s assertion that she can still represent her constituents while she waits to be sworn in to office, contending she cannot carry out some basic functions of her office until she is seated.
“We have no access to government email, casework systems, and other basic infrastructure. Moreover, we cannot sign any leases for in-district offices to provide constituent services,” Grijalva wrote in a statement to ABC News on Friday. “He is piecemealing the most basic tools of a functioning office — handing me the keys to a car with no engine, no tires, and no fuel. This would all be resolved if he simply did his job, swore me in, and stopped protecting pedophiles. I can’t do my job until he does his.”
On Monday, Johnson put the onus on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to give his new members “guidance and direction” on how to begin operating their office.
“That call was apparently never made,” Johnson said. “I don’t know if the Democrat leader’s office didn’t inform her of that, but the I found out this morning that the person who runs that office and the chief administrative office is on furlough because they voted to shut the government down, and so that person didn’t reach out affirmatively, but now it’s been sorted out, and I’m told they’re going to her office today.”
On ABC News’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl pressed Johnson on why the House couldn’t return to do some regular business outside any shutdown-related work.
“I refuse to allow us to come back and engage in anything until the government is reopened, when the Democrats do the right thing for the people,” Johnson told Karl.
Asked when Johnson would swear in Grijalva, the leader told Karl, “As soon as we get back to legislative session, when Chuck Schumer allows us to turn the lights back on.”
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