STORY: Democratic U.S. representative Adelita Grijalva in her first day in office on Wednesday (November 12) signed the discharge petition to start the process for a House vote on directing the Justice Department to release files related to deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Grijalva provided the final signature needed for a petition to force a House vote on the issue, hours after House Democrats released a new batch of Epstein documents.

Grijalva was sworn in by House Speaker Mike Johnson, seven weeks after she won a special election in Arizona. Her long-delayed induction should pave the way to compel a House vote to release all unclassified records related to Epstein, something Johnson and U.S. President Donald Trump have resisted up to now.

“With my signing, we move one step closer to the truth, the truth that they will try to deny, but that survivors deserve their day of justice and the American people demand it,” Grijalva said at a press conference following her swearing-in.

House Democrats on Wednesday released emails that they said raised new questions about President Trump's ties to Epstein and how much he knew about Epstein's abuse of underage girls.

Grijalva won a September special election to fill the Arizona seat of her late father, Raul Grijalva.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ADELITA GRIJALVA BEING SWORN IN ON HOUSE FLOOR / GRIJALVA BEING SWORN IN BY HOUSE SPEAKER JOHNSON / GRIJALVA GIVING PRESS CONFERENCE

SHOWS: WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER 12, 2025) (HOUSE TV – Access all)

1. WIDE OF CHAMBER OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

2. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SPEAKER OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MIKE JOHNSON [REPUBLICAN – LOUISIANA], PRESIDING OVER SESSION, AND ADMINISTERING OATH TO DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ADELITA GRIJALVA, SAYING:

JOHNSON: “Will Representative-elect Grijalva and members of the Arizona delegation present themselves in the well and all members will rise. [WIDE SHOT OF CHAMBER] And the Representative-elect will raise her right hand. Do you solemnly swear or affirm [INSERT SHOT OF GRIJALVA BEING SWORN IN WITH JOHNSON ADMINISTERING OATH],support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that you bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that you take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that you well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you God?”

GRIJALVA: “I do.”

JOHNSON: “Congratulations, you're now a member of the 119th Congress.”

3. WIDE OF CHAMBER AS MEMBERS APPLAUD GRIJALVA

4. GRIJALVA SHAKING HANDS WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS

5. WIDE OF CHAMBER

6. MEMBERS APPLAUDING AS GRIJALVA EMBRACES MEMBER OF ARIZONA DELEGATION AND THEN STEPS TO PODIUM

7. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ADELITA GRIJALVA, SAYING:

“We need to respect tribal sovereignty and our environment. We need to stand up for LGBTQ+ rights because that's what the American people expect us to do - fight for them. That is why I will sign the discharge petition right now to release the Epstein files.”

8. WIDE OF CHAMBER AS MEMBERS APPLAUD GRIJALVA

WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER12, 2025) (UNRESTRICTEDPOOL – Access all)

9. JOHNSON WITH GRIJALVA POSING FOR SWEARING-IN / GRIJALVA WITH HER HAND ON BIBLE AS JOHNSON HOLDS IT AND BOTH RAISE THEIR HANDS / JOHNSON AND GRIJALVA SHAKING HANDS AND POSING FOR CAMERAS

(SOUNDBITE)(English) DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ADELITA GRIJALVA, SAYING:

“[Person asks, off camera: “Congresswoman, why did it take so long to get sworn in?” / GRIJALVA GESTURES TOWARDS JOHNSON] That would be another - that would not be my question.”

(SOUNDBITE)(English) SPEAKER OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MIKE JOHNSON [REPUBLICAN – LOUISIANA], SAYING:

“This is the, look, I really like this lady. She's going to be an excellent member of Congress. She's a great person. I just told her on the way in that she fills her father's shoes or she's going to try, and no one can.”

10. WHITE FLASH

11. (SOUNDBITE)(English) SPEAKER OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, MIKE JOHNSON [REPUBLICAN – LOUISIANA] AND DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ADELITA GRIJALVA, SAYING:

JOHNSON: “She may not agree with me, but we follow the custom of the House on the timetable, and we've had a little, as we say in the deep South, some intense fellowship about that.”

GRIJALVA: “Yes.”

JOHNSON: “But she's here now and I promised that we would have her, the oath administered before we began legislative business, so she hasn't missed a vote. And we're delighted you're here so anything I can do to help you as I'd do all members happy to get you acclimated and do everything…”

GRIJALVA: “I appreciate the offer”

JOHNSON: “…but you know more than most because your dad was here for a long time.”

GRIJALVA: “I visited. I never did this job. So this is brand, spanking new, so I will take the offer of help.”

JOHNSON: “Congratulations. Thanks a lot.”

/ JOHNSON AND GRAJILVA EXIT

WASHINGTON D.C., UNITED STATES (NOVEMBER12, 2025) (REUTERS – Access all)

12. GRIJALVA AND OTHER DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF CONGRESS WALKING TO PODIUM FOR PRESS CONFERENCE

13. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ADELITA GRIJALVA, SAYING:

“But this historic moment comes with a sober reality. My swearing-in was delayed by 50 days, the longest in modern history. And let's understand very clearly that if I were a Republican, I would not have waited this long. If I were man, I would have not waited this long. We all know that the rules are always different for women of color and people of color. And we have to fight against that. There is no way that this can ever happen again to anyone. We're going to push forward bipartisan legislation to ensure it, because we cannot allow this to happen to anybody again. For one individual to be able to silence 800,000 people, it's unconscionable. It's grosero [vulgar in Spanish]. It's just not okay.”

14. WHITE FLASH

15. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ADELITA GRIJALVA, SAYING:

“Speaker Johnson purposefully obstructed my swearing-in by canceling vote after vote. And the Epstein Files Discharge Petition sat one signature short. With my signing, we move one step closer to the truth, the truth that they will try to deny, but that survivors deserve their day of justice and the American people demand it.”

16. WHITE FLASH

17. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ADELITA GRIJALVA, SAYING:

“And finally, my overwhelming election in Arizona sends a clear message. This nation built by immigrants, strengthened by diversity, will choose hope over hate and leadership over chaos every time.”

18. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ADELITA GRIJALVA, SAYING:

“We've been waiting for a little while. It's a little surreal, I have to say. It is. Like the, people keep asking me how I feel. And honestly, maybe I'll have a better answer tomorrow. But right now we've waited so long that, you know, I'm looking at my kids and my mom and my husband and they're both like, they're all looking at us like, what does that feel like? I'm like, I have no idea. And if you ask them, they'll probably say the same thing.”

19. WHITE FLASH

20. GRIJALVA AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS EXITING