New Arizona Democrat Scorches Speaker Johnson in First Speech After She's Finally Sworn In: 'Abuse of Power!' [View all]

Source: MEDIAite

Nov 12th, 2025, 6:18 pm


Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) unleashed fifty days of frustration in her first speech from the House floor after she was finally sworn into office on Wednesday, blasting Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for the delay and calling it an “abuse of power.” Grijalva was able to drop the “Rep.-elect” moniker that has preceded her name since she won a special election on Sept. 23 to succeed her father, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) in representing Arizona’s 7th district. The elder Grijalva passed away on March 13.

House Republicans dragged their feet on letting Grijalva officially join their ranks, using the government shutdown as an excuse. Grijalva and her supporters have openly speculated that the delay was driven by the fact that she would be the 218th signature in the House for a petition to vote to release the Epstein files.

Wednesday afternoon, Johnson swore in Grijalva and she delivered an impassioned speech before signing the discharge petition. After emotionally thanking her supporters, family, fellow Democrats, and Arizonans, Grijalva commented that “while we celebrate this moment today, our American promise is under serious threat.”

“Basic freedoms are under attack,” she continued. “Healthcare premiums are skyrocketing, babies are being ripped away from their parents by masked agents. We can and must do better.” What was “most concerning,” Grijalva said, was “what the majority in this body has failed to do: hold [President Donald] Trump accountable as a co-equal branch of government that we are.”

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/new-arizona-democrat-scorches-speaker-johnson-in-first-speech-after-shes-finally-sworn-in-abuse-of-power/