00:00House Republicans opened a brief pro forma session Tuesday but did not swear in
00:04Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva. The Arizona Democrat won a special election
00:09to succeed her late father. Representative Morgan Griffith adjourned the House.
00:16Democrats on the floor shouted,
00:18Swear her in, Mediaite reported. Grijalva said there's no reason she could not take the oath now.
00:24Speaker Mike Johnson's office said she will be sworn in when the House reconvenes next Tuesday,
00:29calling it standard practice, according to The Hill. Democrats note the clerk already has
00:34Arizona's notification naming Grijalva the unofficial winner. Paperwork, they say,
00:40has been sufficient before and point to two Florida Republicans who were sworn in during a
00:45pro forma session earlier this year. The delay does not change shutdown math. Republicans still hold
00:52219 seats to Democrats 213. That's what The Hill reported. Why it matters comes next.
00:58Once sworn in, Grijalva has pledged to sign a discharge petition to force a vote on a bipartisan
01:04bill to release the Jeffrey Epstein files. The petition stands at 217 signatures, one short of
01:11forcing a vote, according to The Hill and Politico. GOP leaders argue the measure lacks strong victim
01:17protections and point to an ongoing House Oversight Committee probe. Next date to watch, Tuesday,
01:23October 7th, when House leaders say the swearing-in will occur. For more unbiased updates,
01:29download the Straight Arrow News app or go to san.com.
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