NBC's Kristen Welker Presses Speaker Johnson On Refusal to Swear in Congresswoman Who is Likely Epstein Files Swing Vote [View all]
Source: MEDIAite
Oct 5th, 2025, 12:49 pm
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) bristled when asked why hes not swearing in a newly-elected Congresswoman thought to be the swing vote on a House measure to release the Epstein Files.
In an interview on NBCs Meet the Press Sunday, Kristen Welker pressed the Speaker about his refusal to swear in Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ). When she is sworn in, Grijalva will be the 214th Democrat in Congress. Those 214 Democrats plus four likely Republican defections would mean proponents would have the required 218 votes to pass a discharge petition to release DOJ files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
Welker quizzed Johnson on the House being closed during the government shutdown.
You announced this week that the House will not be in session until the government reopens, Welker said. But there are still things that you could be doing. There are appropriations bills that you could be working on, theres a new Democratic Congresswoman who still needs to be sworn in. Isnt there still critical work that you could be doing on behalf of the American public? Were doing that critical work, Johnson replied before pivoting to criticize Democrats.
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Were doing that critical work, Johnson replied
"Critical work" = "cover-up" of the Epstein files.