Rep. Adelita Grijalva Introduces the No Delay in Representation Act
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Adelita S. Grijalva introduced the No Delay in Representation Act, legislation to require that members of Congress elected in special elections be provided the opportunity to be sworn in and seated no later than five legislative days after their election results are certified. The bill is aimed at preventing future instances in which communities are left without representation in Congress due to political delay or gamesmanship.
“For 50 days, 813,000 Arizonans were deprived of representation in Congress and access to basic constituent services due to political games being played by Speaker Johnson. That is why I am introducing the No Delay in Representation Act to prevent any one individual from blocking the will of the voters and silencing the voice of an entire community,” said Representative Grijalva.
Following her September special election, Rep. Grijalva’s swearing-in was delayed for 50 days – the longest delay in recent history. At the time of the delay, the House was on the brink of advancing a discharge petition to force the Department of Justice to release the Epstein files. Rep. Grijalva represented the decisive signature needed to move the petition forward. The Speaker’s decision to withhold the oath had the clear effect of delaying House action on the Epstein files.
Under the No Delay in Representation Act, once the results of a special election are certified, the Speaker of the House would be required to provide the elected individual an opportunity to be sworn in and seated within five legislative days, which includes when the House convenes for non-voting “pro-forma” sessions. The legislation applies regardless of party affiliation and is designed to remove politics from what should be a routine, procedural function of Congress. The bill is particularly timely as the House faces upcoming special elections to fill four vacant seats.
“Swearing in a newly elected representative should be a boring, procedural step broadcast on C-SPAN – not cable news,” Rep. Grijalva continued. “This bill protects voters, strengthens our institutions, and ensures that no community is denied its voice because of the political calculations of those in power. As Speaker Johnson’s Republican majority becomes even more precarious, the temptation to drag out the swearing in process will only increase.”
The No Delay in Representation Act is co-sponsored by: Representatives Ansari, Balint, Carbajal, Cisneros, Dean, DeLauro, Dingell, Doggett, Elfreth, Foushee, Frost, Robert Garcia, Sylvia Garcia, Goldman, Hayes, Holmes Norton, Kennedy, Leger-Fernandez, Levin, Liccardo, Mannion, Olszewski, Pou, Randall, Ramirez, Rivas, Ross, Simon, Stanton, Thanedar, Tlaib, Tonko, Williams
RESOURCES:
The text of the legislation is available here.
A one-pager explaining the bill is available here.
A video of Congresswoman Grijalva explaining the bill is available here.
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