Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
So this speaker's office has hadabsolutely no communication with
me directly at all. So everything is going through
Leader Jeffries or Whip Clark, and every person in the
Democratic caucus has been so incredibly supportive, sending
out their own tweets, really encouraging Speaker Johnson to
(00:24):
swear me in. One of the first arguments that
I heard was, and this is again, through media outlets because
the communication is not coming to me directly, said that if
once the official results are in, then we'll go ahead and
swear her in. Well, that completely changes
the precedent that this speaker has established by swearing in
(00:46):
to Republican members of Congress less than 24 hours
after their election on a pro forma day.
And then as you mentioned, Walkinshaw was also under 24
hours. And so the only difference
between me and the other three individuals, they're all male,
(01:07):
not party, Republican and Democrat.
And so I'm just wondering why the rules are difference for
this Chicana from Tucson. And the only thing that I can
point to is that I'm the 218th signer decisive, you know,
that's that's going to be me to sign on to the Epstein files.
And that really seems to be the only difference.
And So what we're looking at, wetalked, we were exploring ideas
(01:30):
that a federal judge could also swear me in, but that still
requires an act of Congress. And so if Speaker Johnson is
unwilling to take any suggestions from the floor to
hear any of the members, like hedid last week when I was in the
gallery on the floor with the other members of the Democratic
caucus and there was a gavel in and a gavel out, that's
(01:52):
essentially what's been continuing to happen.
And so I don't see any recourse for me until Congress goes back
in session. And we don't know when that's
going to be. Old air conditioning system that
can't keep up. Semper Fi has a solution because
right now you can get a brand new high efficiency air
conditioning. OK, so if someone does not want
to take the word of a Chicana from Tucson, let's pull up this
(02:14):
headline from the Rolling Stone.Back in April, Reps Jimmy
Petronas and Randy Fine, both Republicans representing
Florida, were sworn in by Johnson during a pro forma
session the day after their special election.
So if anybody acts like this isn't funny business, there you
have it. Listen, there's what it means.
Congresswoman elect to the 218. There's also what it means to
(02:35):
the people you were elected to represent this from the New York
Times. They have not been sworn in.
She cannot use any resources from her congressional office to
serve her constituents. She cannot hire staff and she
cannot set up an office in her district.
The office in Washington that will eventually be hers is
vacant. Phone calls there are redirected
to her father's old office in Tucson, which Miss Kurihalva
(02:57):
said was closed and emptied before her election.
We're in the middle of a government shutdown.
And what do you tell the constituents who elected you to
be their voice in Washington? You know, I just joined a rally
of AFG employees, federal employees, federal civilian
employees, and they all have questions about what their
recourse is. And I don't have any way to help
(03:19):
them other than to refer them toour wonderful Senators Gallego
and Kelly, and to my colleagues who have offered very graciously
to help both Representative Ansari and Representative
Stanton. You know, Congresswoman elect it
is well, first of all, I will note, you know they said they is
(03:39):
in you were hearing through the Grapevine, the news media and
House Democrats that you were waiting they they wanted to wait
on the official paperwork from Arizona local outlets are
reporting and even the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
who sent a letter on your behalfto Speaker Mike Johnson
underscored that the household has already received the
necessary paperwork from Arizonafor your race.
(04:00):
So that's, that's one I want to I want to double back on what
the chairman was talking about here, because the reality is, is
the speaker cannot legally deny you from your duly elected seat,
but he can enjoy these employeesdelay tactics.
There is precedent and it has happened before in Congress.
(04:22):
In 1869, Congress refused to seat black legislators from
Georgia. They because of a technicality,
they had to sue Julian Bond, notably had to go to the Supreme
Court in 1965 to be seated in Georgia because they didn't want
to certify him. There is a Supreme Court case as
president. Has the president for your
(04:42):
particular situation here sayingthat Congress cannot deny a
sitting member of Congress. Are you going to sue to get your
right to take your rightful place?
Because this is the speaker of the House using his power to
deny the citizens of Arizona, but also all the people that
want to know what's in the damn F sync files, the information
(05:03):
that they that they want. Exactly right.
Yeah. You know, I think that my
official results will be available on October 14th or
shortly thereafter, according toour Secretary of State here in
Arizona. Once that happens, there's
literally is no other reason whyI should not be at the table.
(05:24):
And also being able to support the constituents here that
overwhelmingly elected me to serve in this position.
And so if it comes down to that,I absolutely will sue.
So Congressman elect at the end of last week after listening to
the storyline develop and and sort of putting my my political
(05:46):
hat on. Just wait for it, Congresswoman
Elect. I'm just saying, you know, you
represent a lot here. Simone has already alluded to
some of that. At the end of the day, you and
the three Republican members whoare lined with you to be a part
of that 218 vote requirement forthe discharge of the Epstein
(06:10):
petition really matter to a lot of people.
And so I just want to put it outhere publicly and say it is time
that the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, freed the FC 218.
Let let the lady take her seat so she can represent her people
(06:30):
and she can cast the vote that the speaker is clearly afraid
will be cast. Thank you very much.
We might have to caption that and use it just that.
Thank you. I mean, it really does.
I try to joke and sort of keep like a sense of humor about it.
But, you know, I had the privilege of watching my dad
(06:53):
gets worn in and it was like, I remember it.
And so I'm a mom of three kids. I had flight plans ready to go,
technically leaving tomorrow. And so it is sort of ebbing away
some of the joy of this moment, not only for me and for my
family, but for Arizona. I mean, whether you voted for me
(07:13):
or not, we broke history. We broke the glass ceiling.
And we want to make history by being officially sworn in and
being and having my name on the placard outside the door of the
office that I'm going to hold and not be able to get into the
building. Literally now that we're shut
down, I can't get into the building because I'm not an
(07:34):
employee. I don't have any legal reason to
be there. Do not let them steal your joy.
Joy, you won by a very healthy March.
There is a history in this country of people trying to
block the progress and the ascension of African American
and Latino and Hispanic elected officials.
You are Congresswoman Elect Adelita Grijalva, and one way or
(07:56):
another, let you tell it, you will be sitting in that.
So this speaker's office has hadabsolutely no communication with
me directly at all. So everything is going through
Leader Jeffries or Whip Clark, and every person in the
Democratic caucus has been so incredibly supportive, sending
out their own tweets, really encouraging Speaker Johnson to
(00:24):
swear me in. One of the first arguments that
I heard was, and this is again, through media outlets because
the communication is not coming to me directly, said that if
once the official results are in, then we'll go ahead and
swear her in. Well, that completely changes
the precedent that this speaker has established by swearing in
(00:46):
to Republican members of Congress less than 24 hours
after their election on a pro forma day.
And then as you mentioned, Walkinshaw was also under 24
hours. And so the only difference
between me and the other three individuals, they're all male,
(01:07):
not party, Republican and Democrat.
And so I'm just wondering why the rules are difference for
this Chicana from Tucson. And the only thing that I can
point to is that I'm the 218th signer decisive, you know,
that's that's going to be me to sign on to the Epstein files.
And that really seems to be the only difference.
And So what we're looking at, wetalked, we were exploring ideas
(01:30):
that a federal judge could also swear me in, but that still
requires an act of Congress. And so if Speaker Johnson is
unwilling to take any suggestions from the floor to
hear any of the members, like hedid last week when I was in the
gallery on the floor with the other members of the Democratic
caucus and there was a gavel in and a gavel out, that's
(01:52):
essentially what's been continuing to happen.
And so I don't see any recourse for me until Congress goes back
in session. And we don't know when that's
going to be. Old air conditioning system that
can't keep up. Semper Fi has a solution because
right now you can get a brand new high efficiency air
conditioning. OK, so if someone does not want
to take the word of a Chicana from Tucson, let's pull up this
(02:14):
headline from the Rolling Stone.Back in April, Reps Jimmy
Petronas and Randy Fine, both Republicans representing
Florida, were sworn in by Johnson during a pro forma
session the day after their special election.
So if anybody acts like this isn't funny business, there you
have it. Listen, there's what it means.
Congresswoman elect to the 218. There's also what it means to
(02:35):
the people you were elected to represent this from the New York
Times. They have not been sworn in.
She cannot use any resources from her congressional office to
serve her constituents. She cannot hire staff and she
cannot set up an office in her district.
The office in Washington that will eventually be hers is
vacant. Phone calls there are redirected
to her father's old office in Tucson, which Miss Kurihalva
(02:57):
said was closed and emptied before her election.
We're in the middle of a government shutdown.
And what do you tell the constituents who elected you to
be their voice in Washington? You know, I just joined a rally
of AFG employees, federal employees, federal civilian
employees, and they all have questions about what their
recourse is. And I don't have any way to help
(03:19):
them other than to refer them toour wonderful Senators Gallego
and Kelly, and to my colleagues who have offered very graciously
to help both Representative Ansari and Representative
Stanton. You know, Congresswoman elect it
is well, first of all, I will note, you know they said they is
(03:39):
in you were hearing through the Grapevine, the news media and
House Democrats that you were waiting they they wanted to wait
on the official paperwork from Arizona local outlets are
reporting and even the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
who sent a letter on your behalfto Speaker Mike Johnson
underscored that the household has already received the
necessary paperwork from Arizonafor your race.
(04:00):
So that's, that's one I want to I want to double back on what
the chairman was talking about here, because the reality is, is
the speaker cannot legally deny you from your duly elected seat,
but he can enjoy these employeesdelay tactics.
There is precedent and it has happened before in Congress.
(04:22):
In 1869, Congress refused to seat black legislators from
Georgia. They because of a technicality,
they had to sue Julian Bond, notably had to go to the Supreme
Court in 1965 to be seated in Georgia because they didn't want
to certify him. There is a Supreme Court case as
president. Has the president for your
(04:42):
particular situation here sayingthat Congress cannot deny a
sitting member of Congress. Are you going to sue to get your
right to take your rightful place?
Because this is the speaker of the House using his power to
deny the citizens of Arizona, but also all the people that
want to know what's in the damn F sync files, the information
(05:03):
that they that they want. Exactly right.
Yeah. You know, I think that my
official results will be available on October 14th or
shortly thereafter, according toour Secretary of State here in
Arizona. Once that happens, there's
literally is no other reason whyI should not be at the table.
(05:24):
And also being able to support the constituents here that
overwhelmingly elected me to serve in this position.
And so if it comes down to that,I absolutely will sue.
So Congressman elect at the end of last week after listening to
the storyline develop and and sort of putting my my political
(05:46):
hat on. Just wait for it, Congresswoman
Elect. I'm just saying, you know, you
represent a lot here. Simone has already alluded to
some of that. At the end of the day, you and
the three Republican members whoare lined with you to be a part
of that 218 vote requirement forthe discharge of the Epstein
(06:10):
petition really matter to a lot of people.
And so I just want to put it outhere publicly and say it is time
that the Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, freed the FC 218.
Let let the lady take her seat so she can represent her people
(06:30):
and she can cast the vote that the speaker is clearly afraid
will be cast. Thank you very much.
We might have to caption that and use it just that.
Thank you. I mean, it really does.
I try to joke and sort of keep like a sense of humor about it.
But, you know, I had the privilege of watching my dad
(06:53):
gets worn in and it was like, I remember it.
And so I'm a mom of three kids. I had flight plans ready to go,
technically leaving tomorrow. And so it is sort of ebbing away
some of the joy of this moment, not only for me and for my
family, but for Arizona. I mean, whether you voted for me
(07:13):
or not, we broke history. We broke the glass ceiling.
And we want to make history by being officially sworn in and
being and having my name on the placard outside the door of the
office that I'm going to hold and not be able to get into the
building. Literally now that we're shut
down, I can't get into the building because I'm not an
(07:34):
employee. I don't have any legal reason to
be there. Do not let them steal your joy.
Joy, you won by a very healthy March.
There is a history in this country of people trying to
block the progress and the ascension of African American
and Latino and Hispanic elected officials.
You are Congresswoman Elect Adelita Grijalva, and one way or
(07:56):
another, let you tell it, you will be sitting in that.
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