Letter cites concerns over halted constituent services to Arizona’s 7th District
WASHINGTON – This week, Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) led freshmen Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives in sending a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson that seeks clarification on the swear-in timeline for Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva. The letter details the need for clear guidelines on the process for Grijalva to be sworn in, urging Johnson to take immediate action to give Grijalva’s constituents their deserved and entitled representation.
“It’s been over a month since Adelita Grijalva was elected to represent the people of Arizona’s 7th District by an overwhelming majority, but her Congressional office remains unable to serve constituents,” said Rep Ansari. “Stalling her swear-in is depriving Arizonans of representation and casework coverage during the shutdown, and prolonging an unacceptable cover-up of the Epstein files. We’ve seen a pro-forma session swearing in before – there’s no reason why it can’t happen again.”
The letter is cosigned by every Freshman Democrat - Representatives Wesley Bell (MO-01), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), Gilbert Cisneros (CA-31), Herbert Conaway (NJ-03), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), Cleo Fields (LA-06), Shomari Figures (AL-02), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Laura Gillen (NY-04), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Adam Gray (CA-13), Pablo Hernández (PR-AL), Julie Johnson (TX-32), George Latimer (NY-16), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), John Mannion (NY-22), Sara McBride (DE-AL), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Dave Min (CA-47), Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Johnny Olszewski (MD-02), Nellie Pou (NJ-09), Emily Randall (WA-06), Josh Riley (NY-19), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), Derek Tran (CA-45), Eugene Vindman (VA-07), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), and George Whitesides (CA-21).
View text of the letter HERE and below.
The Honorable Mike Johnson
Speaker of the House of Representatives
H-232, The Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Speaker Johnson,
As freshmen Democratic Members of the 119th Congress, we write to request clarification on the process and timeline for swearing in Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The people of Arizona’s 7th District have spoken, and their chosen representative should be seated without unnecessary delay. At a time when the federal government is entering day 21 of a shutdown, it is especially critical that every congressional district have full representation as the House conducts its business. Consistent with House rules and longstanding precedent, duly elected Members are to be administered the oath of office promptly following the certification of their election.
We respectfully ask that you provide clear guidance on when Representative-elect Grijalva will be sworn in and ensure her constituents are afforded the full representation they are entitled to.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your timely response.
Sincerely,
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