By Amy Goodman & Denis Moynihan

Adelita Grijalva was finally sworn in to the US House of Representatives on Wednesday, after being blocked from her duly-elected role by Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson for 50 days, denying Congressional representation to Grijalva’s 800,000-plus constituents in southern Arizona. Johnson, it seemed, was far more interested in serving the interests of just one man, namely, President Donald Trump. By refusing to swear in Grijalva, Johnson was able to block the long-pending discharge petition that would force a vote on releasing the government’s files on the late, convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Well, Johnson’s delays are over. Adelita Grijalva is now a member of Congress, and, as her first official act, she signed the discharge petition. This allows an end-run around the Speaker, who sets the agenda in the House of Representatives and decides what comes to a vote and what does not. There will now be a vote in the House to compel the Justice Department to make public its full trove of Epstein files. The bill is expected to pass in the House, although its fate in the Senate is unclear.

Adelita Grijalva raised the Epstein files in her first floor speech, which she delivered after receiving a rousing standing ovation from her Congressional colleagues:

“Our democracy only works when everyone has a voice. 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. [applause] Just this morning, House Democrats released more emails showing that Trump knew more about Epstein’s abuses than he previously acknowledged.”

Grijalva continued,

“It’s past time for Congress to restore its role as a check and 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. 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.”

Grijalva won the special election to fill the seat left vacant by the death of her father, the late Congressmember Raul Grijalva. She opened her speech paying tribute to him and to her heritage:

“I rise today, the proud granddaughter of a bracero, a hard working 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.”

Grijalva thanked her constituents,

“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.”

And then, she spoke in Spanish:

“Este momento es historico para nuestra comunidad. Es un honor ser la primera Latina en representar a Arizona en Congreso y es seguro, que aunque soy la primera, no sera la ultima.”

(“This is a historic moment for our community. It is an honor to be the first Latina to represent Arizona in Congress, and I am certain that although I am the first, I will not be the last.”)

Speaking on Democracy Now! on her first full day in Congress representative Grijalva explained her choice to speak in Spanish as well as English in her first House address: “I felt it was very important. In southern Arizona, we have a lot of Spanish speaking families and even many that are bilingual. I wanted to let them know I was there for them.”

Adelita is a name known to many in the border region, as the name of a famous “corrido,” or ballad, of the Mexican Revolution, called “La Adelita.” In the early years of the 20th century, the Mexican people rose up against the long-standing dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz. While the song’s lyrics cast the revolutionary struggle in romantic terms, it has come to symbolize the central role women played in the revolution’s ultimate success.

House Speaker Johnson’s arbitrary and hostile refusal to swear in Adelita Grijalva for close to two months was an absolute disservice, not only to her and her constituents, but to our democracy. As fears rise of Trump’s authoritarian actions, the people of southern Arizona now have a voice in Congress. Adelante, Adelita.