Oct. 15 (UPI) — Congressional Democrats continued their Capitol protest for a second straight day to have Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva sworn in to fill a House vacancy created by her father’s death.
Democratic congressional lawmakers and their supporters briefly gathered outside the Capitol office of House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., on Tuesday and on Wednesday held another press event outside the Capitol to demand Johnson immediately swear in Grijalva.
The Democratic Women’s Caucus organized Tuesday’s protest and chanted “swear her in” while walking to Johnson’s office, according to Axios.
“Speaker Johnson keeps changing the story of why he can’t swear her in,” Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, Democratic Women’s Caucus chair, told Axios.
“We will keep calling attention to his failure to swear her in,” she said. “We will keep showing up in the halls of Congress demanding that we return to work so we can address the Republican healthcare crisis.”
Grijalva said Johnson would have sworn her in already if she were a Republican lawmaker.
Many observers have suggested that Johnson is intentionally delaying swearing in Grijalva because she would provide the final signature needed on a House measure that calls for a vote to release files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Johnson was not in his office when dozens of Congressional Democrats and their supporters arrived outside his office door on Tuesday.
He was attending the Presidential Medal of Freedom event honoring slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk in the White House Rose Garden.
Johnson said Tuesday’s impromptu protest outside his office “shows their desperation.”
He said some of the protesters entered his office foyer and tore down a sign that was hanging on the office wall.
“They berated a Capitol Police Officer [and] screamed at him,” Johnson added. “He was just merely standing at his post.”
Johnson referenced a confrontation between Rep. Nanette Barragan, D-Calif., whom the officer tried to stop from entering Johnson’s office.
Barragan afterward said the officer did not realize she and others are members of Congress and “grabbed me by the side,” Axios reported.
Johnson previously said he was waiting for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes to certify Grijalva’s win before swearing her in to office and would swear her in when the House resumes session after being recessed until Oct. 20 amid the government shutdown.
Fontes on Tuesday certified Grijalva’s Sept. 23 special election win to fill the vacancy in Arizona’s Seventh Congressional District and replace her father, Rep. Raul Grijalva, following his death on March 13.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes on Tuesday said she might file a court challenge to force Johnson to swear in Grijalva.
“We will swear her in when everybody gets back,” Johnson told media this week.
The House on Sept. 19 approved a continuing resolution to fund the federal government through Nov. 21 while continuing to negotiate a bipartisan funding bill for the 2026 fiscal year that began on Oct. 1.
Johnson recessed the House after the Senate could not muster 60 votes to pass the continuing resolution on Sept. 30 and several times since, which caused the federal government to shut down pending approval of a funding measure.
The House is recessed at least until Monday.