00:00Dem hits Johnson with lawsuit. Speaker reacts to absurd move.
00:05House Speaker Mike Johnson is facing a lawsuit from the state of Arizona for not swearing in its new representative, a move the Speaker called patently absurd.
00:15Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva won a special election on September 23 to replace her late father, Representative Raul Grijalva, who died in March.
00:23Speaker Mike Johnson is actively stripping the people of Arizona of one of their seats in Congress and disenfranchising the voters of Arizona's 7th Congressional District in the process, Arizona Attorney General Chris Mays said.
00:37Blocking Grijalva's oath is taxation without representation.
00:41Johnson responded, stating this was a way to get national publicity.
00:45I think it's patently absurd. We run the House. She has no jurisdiction. We're following the precedent, Johnson said.
00:53She's looking for national publicity. Apparently, she's gotten some of it, but good luck with that.
00:59Johnson has asserted Grijalva will be sworn in when the House returns to its regular sessions.
01:05However, Johnson has threatened to keep the House members out of Washington, D.C. until the government shutdown is over.
01:11House Democrats accused Johnson of politicizing Grijalva's swearing in and leaving Arizona's 7th District unrepresented.
01:19Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries said Republicans' four-week delay denies hundreds of thousands their rightful representation during a critical time.
01:27Johnson noted the House wasn't in session when Grijalva won and cited Pelosi waiting 25 days to swear in Representative Julia Letlow in 2021.
01:37He plans to administer Grijalva's oath on the first day back and suggested she focus on serving constituents instead of making TikTok videos.
01:44He plans to administer Grijalva's oath on the first day back and suggested she focus on serving the House.
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