Grijalva Sworn In After 50-Day Delay in Congress

Washington -- House Speaker Mike Johnson will administer the oath of office to Democrat Adelita Grijalva on Wednesday, more than seven weeks after she won a special election in Arizona to succeed her late father in representing the state's 7th Congressional District.

The ceremony, scheduled for 4 p.m. ET, marks the end of a record 50-day delay for a newly elected House member. Grijalva, who secured the seat on September 23 with strong support in the Democratic-leaning district, will join the chamber as hundreds of lawmakers return from an extended recess prompted by the government shutdown. The House has been out of session since September 19, and Johnson had cited the lack of legislative business as the reason for postponing her swearing-in until the full chamber reconvened. He previously administered oaths to two Republican winners of special elections earlier this year despite similar recesses.

Democrats, including Grijalva, have criticized the delay as politically motivated, arguing it prevented her from signing a bipartisan discharge petition that would force a floor vote on releasing unclassified Justice Department files related to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking...