Senators Gallego and Kelly Speak on Resolution Demanding Swearing in of Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva

WASHINGTON - Today, Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly spoke on the Senate floor to call on the Senate to pass their resolution demanding the swearing in of Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07).

Republican Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) objected and blocked unanimous consent to pass the resolution.

Watch Senator Gallego's and Kelly's speeches HERE and read them below:

Senator Gallego: "I rise today on behalf of my good friend and the duly elected Member of Congress for Arizona's 7th Congressional District, Adelita Grijalva.

"It has now been 44 days since the people of Southern Arizona voted overwhelmingly to send Adelita to Congress. Yet still, her seat sits vacant.

"Since the passing of her father in March, the people of Southern Arizona have had no one to speak for them in Washington. Now, for 44 days, the people of Southern Arizona have been denied representation.

"For 44 days, the 800,000 residents of Arizona's 7th District have been denied representation and forced to go without federal casework services. All because Speaker Johnson refuses to do his job and uphold his constitutional duty to swear her in.

"It is now the longest period in history that a duly-elected Representative has gone without being sworn in.

"And why? Why does Speaker Johnson refuse to swear her in? Because he's doing everything he can to prevent accountability for those connected to the Epstein investigation.

"He knows that as soon as Adelita is sworn in, she'll be the final signature needed on a petition to release the Epstein files. So, instead of letting that happen, Speaker Johnson has kept the House on an extended vacation, falsely claiming that he can't swear in Representative Grijalva while the House is out of session.

"That is a lie.

"Just this year, he swore in two Representatives from Florida while the House was out of session. But when it comes to swearing in someone who will vote to expose elite predators, he refuses to act.

"He also knows that, if Adelita is sworn in, she'll be another vote to stop health care premiums from skyrocketing for 24 million Americans.

"He knows that if he brings back the House into session, if his members are forced to choose between doing nothing or acting to stop yet another cost increase for their constituents, they just may do the right thing and act to protect the rise in health care premiums.

"To put it simply, Speaker Johnson is refusing to swear in Adelita Grijalva because he wants to stall oversight and avoid a vote on the Epstein discharge petition, while also allowing health care costs to rise for millions of Americans.

"It's disgusting.

"The people of Arizona's 7th Congressional District deserve representation and a voice in Congress. They deserve to have their votes honored. And Adelita Grijalva deserves to be able to get to work for her constituents.

"I hope that my fellow Senators agree with me on that."

"The constituents of Adelita Grijalva have voted. They have voted and they have spoken in the most democratic way we have established under the constitution. An election occurred, it has been certified by the Secretary of State. It was an overwhelming victory to the point where there is no real reason - no logical reason - why the 800,000 constituents of Congressional District Seven of Arizona are lacking that representation, and that's why I speak today in support of this bill.

"With that, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for the Senate proceed to the consideration of my resolution at the desk, which calls for the prompt swearing in of Representative-elect Grijalva, that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate."

Senator Kelly: "Now it's been 44 days since Southern Arizonans elected Adelita Grijalva in a landslide to represent them in Washington. Yet 800,000 Arizonans, including me and my wife Gabby and my daughter, still do not have a voice in the U.S. House of Representatives because of political games being played by Speaker Johnson.

"My office, we've seen an increase in calls and case work from the district because they don't have a Congressional office that they can turn to. Mr. President, this is unprecedented.

"And I've heard Speaker Johnson's excuses. None of them make any sense. He has said that he swore in two Republican Representatives from Florida because it was a special circumstance. Their family was here. Well, Adelita Grijalva can get her family here on a moment's notice. He also said, on another occasion, that she deserves the pomp and circumstance of the way they normally swear people in. Well, I've spoke to her about that. She does not care about pomp and circumstance.

"Now, Mr. President, the people of Arizona did their part. They voted. And their Representative, Adelita Grijalva, she's been certified; the election has been certified. And they should not have to wait another day to have someone representing them in the House.

"So we have a message for Speaker Johnson: do your job. This isn't complicated. It's the basic stuff of being the Speaker of the House. It's the basic things in our democracy, and it should not be impacted by politics. And I would like to think that every Senator here - whether they're a Democrat or a Republican - would agree with that."

11/6/25