PHOENIX — U.S. Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva can get into her congressional office in Washington, D.C.
But she can’t use anything inside, as she showed in an Instagram video Thursday.
“Yes, I have access to an office,” she said. “But it’s kind of like someone saying, ‘Here’s a car,’ and it doesn’t have an engine, gas or tires.”
Three days after Arizona’s secretary of state certified Grijalva’s win in the special election to fill the Congressional District 7 seat held by her late father, she remains in limbo.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has refused to swear Grijalva in until Democrats vote to reopen the government. On Friday, he dismissed Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes’ promise to sue if he doesn’t seat Grijalva.
“It’s a publicity stunt by a Democrat attorney general in Arizona who sees a national moment and wants to call me out,” he said. “She has nothing whatsoever to do with what’s happening in Congress.”
Mayes posted on multiple social media platforms Thursday that she had given Johnson two days and “time is up.”
“Arizona’s 7th congressional district 813,000 Arizonans are now being taxed without representation,” she wrote. “I have lawyers downstairs right now drafting litigation.”
She’s expected to file her lawsuit early next week.
U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego and U.S. Rep. Greg Stanton, both Democrats, told ABC15 on Friday they support Mayes’ decision to take legal action.
“This is actually not about Adelita Grijalva, per se,” Stanton said. “It's about the people of her district. American people – our fellow Arizonans – do not have representation in Congress. It's about our democracy.”
While the House has been not been in session for about a month, Stanton noted that members do more than work on legislation.
Constituent services – assisting residents in the district who need help dealing with federal agencies – is “the most important thing” his team does, he said.
“We had major rain and flood just a few days ago, and her district got particularly hard hit (by) the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla. She should have been in action, sworn in, coordinating response,” said Stanton, who appeared later Friday in Tempe with city officials to provide updates on Monday’s microburst damage.
Gallego said there is no reason for Grijalva to not be sworn in.
“We are literally taxing people of Southern Arizona without any representation, and there is no legitimate reason why she has not been sworn in,” he said.
Both lawmakers sharply criticized Johnson.
“Mike Johnson doesn't get to decide which districts get representation and which ones don't,” Stanton said.
“The fact that we've been having this conversation is ridiculous,” Gallego said. “She's a duly elected member of Congress, like overwhelmingly voted on 25 days ago.”
It's not clear when Johnson will swear Grijalva in.
Republicans and Democrats are no closer to a deal to reopen the government. And the House, which hasn’t voted on anything since Sept. 19, will not be in session next week.
Grijalva has pledged to be the final signature U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, needs to release federal files on Jeffrey Epstein.
“Republicans would rather protect pedophiles and stay on vacation than do their jobs,” she said in an Instagram video posted late Thursday afternoon.
