Mr. Speaker (00:00):
The chair lays before the House of Communication.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
The Honorable, the Speaker House of Representatives. Sir, I have the honor to transmit here with a copy of the certificate of election received from the Honorable Adrian Fontes, Arizona Secretary of State, indicating that the special election held on September 23rd, 2025, the Honorable Adelita Grijalva was duly elected representative in Congress for the 7th congressional district, State of Arizona, signed sincerely Kevin F. McCumber, clerk.
Mr. Speaker (00:41):
Well, representative-elect Grijalva and members of the Arizona delegation present themselves in the well and all members will rise and the representative-elect will raise her right hand. Do you solemnly swear or affirm that you will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that you will 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 will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you're about to enter, so help you God?
Adelita Grijalva (01:47):
I do.
Mr. Speaker (01:47):
Congratulations. You're now a member of 19th Congress. Without objection, the gentleman from Arizona is recognized for one minute.
Paul Gosar (02:23):
Thank you Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to congratulate our newest colleague and fellow Arizonan on our swearing in as a representative of Arizona's 7th congressional district, Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva. Congresswoman Grijalva has concentrated her career on issues associated in advocating for students and supporting families as she follows her late father's footsteps and boy, those are some footsteps, especially with those bolo ties. Wow, I have no doubt she'll bring to the halls of Congress the same energy that has defined her years of public service.
(02:59)
As Dean of the Arizona Congressional Delegation, I wish to congratulate Congressman Grijalva and welcome her to the United States House of Representatives. I now yield to my friend from Arizona, Mr. Stanton.
Mr. Stanton (03:10):
Mr. Speaker, thank you. And thank you to Congressman Gosar, the new Dean of Arizona's State delegation. It has been a minute since we've all been together on the house floor, looking for cobwebs around here. As Dean, Congressman Gosar replaces the late Congressman Raul Grijalva, one of the most impactful leaders in Arizona history. And now with great pride, I rise today to do something we have waited 50 long days to do, exactly 49 days too long, and that is to introduce our colleague from Arizona, Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva. Since September 23rd, the people of Arizona have been waiting for this day, and the excuses for the delay have changed seemingly daily.
(04:06)
First, they said they need election certificate, though one isn't required. Then they wanted to make sure there was enough pomp and circumstance. Then we were informed about a non-existent Pelosi precedent. At one point, the speaker went on television and said, "Bless her heart, she is representative-elect. She doesn't know how it works around here." Bless his heart, because here's how it should work. Let's call it the Adelita Grijalva precedent. When the American people vote, this chamber respects their will and sees them immediately. Politics should never come into play.
(04:46)
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Congresswoman Grijalva is a native Tucsonan, the granddaughter of a Bracero who came here from Mexico, the youngest woman ever elected to the Tucson Unified School Board, serving 20 years, then a Pima County supervisor fighting for working families, affordable housing, early child education. She brings that same fight to Congress. The people of Arizona's 7th District placed their trust in her, and today that trust is rewarded, and her first act of Congress will be a powerful one. She will be the 218th and final signature on the discharge petition to force the Trump administration to release the absolute files, delivering long overdue justice and accountability for hundreds of victims abused by rich and powerful men.
(05:40)
She is a smart principled fighter through and through. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to welcome and introduce to this chamber, Congresswoman Adelita Grijalva.
Adelita Grijalva (05:48):
Muchas gracias. Thank you. Muchas gracias. Gracias. Thank you.
Audience (06:28):
Adelita.
Adelita Grijalva (06:28):
Thank you.
Audience (06:28):
Adelita.
Adelita Grijalva (06:30):
Thank you. Muchas gracias. Thank you so much. Thank you to my colleague and friend, Congressman Stanton for that kind introduction and to the entire democratic delegation from Arizona and the delegation that stood here with me, that has supported me throughout this process. I rise today the proud granddaughter of a Bracero, a hardworking Mexican immigrant who came to this country for a better life. And I stand as the proud daughter of a US congressman, a man who spent his entire life fighting for justice, equity, and dignity for the most vulnerable. Yeah. From working as a vaquero to serving in Congress in just a single generation, that is the promise of this country.
(07:22)
That is the America I want to raise my three beautiful children in Adelina, Raul and Joaquin. Stand up. Stand up baby. Look at them. They, along with my amazing husband, Sol and my wonderful mama, Ramona are here with me today. Muchas gracias, [foreign language 00:08:00]. And thank you to La Gente of Southern Arizona for making history electing me, the first Latina, the first Chicana from Arizona to ever go to Congress. [Foreign language 00:08:23]. And while we celebrate this moment today, our American promise is under serious threat. Basic freedoms are under attack, healthcare premiums are skyrocketing, babies are being ripped away from their parents by masked agents.
(09:06)
We can and must do better. What is most concerning is not what this administration has done, but what the majority in this body has failed to do. Hold Trump accountable as a co-equal branch of government that we are. It has been 50 days since the people of Arizona's 7th congressional district elected me to represent them, 50 days that over 800,000 Arizonans have been left without access to the basic services that every constituent deserves. This is an abuse of power. One individual should not be able to unilaterally obstruct the swearing-in of a duly elected member of Congress for political reasons. Our democracy only works when everyone has a voice.
(10:27)
This includes the millions of people across the country who have experienced violence and exploitation, including Liz Stein and Jessica Michaels, both survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse. They are here in the gallery with us this evening. Thank you for being here. Just this morning, house Democrats released more emails showing that Trump knew more about Epstein's abuses than he previously acknowledged. It's pastime for Congress to restore its role as a check-in balance on this administration and fight for we, the American people. We need to fight for our immigrant communities and veterans. We need to stand up for our public schools, children and educators.
(11:31)
We need to respect tribal sovereignty in our environment. We need to stand up for LGBTQ plus 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. Justice cannot wait another day. [Foreign language 00:12:13]. Muchas gracias. Thank you very much, I yield back.
Mr. Speaker (12:42):
Under clause five of rule 20, the chair announces to the house that in light of the administration of the oath, that a gentleman from Arizona, the whole number of the house is now 433.