U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) holds a press conference weeks into the continuing U.S. government shutdown in Washington, D.C., U.S., October 15, 2025. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
When Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva (D-Ariz.) — daughter of the late Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) — won a special election in the Grand Canyon State, her victory meant that the GOP's small majority in the U.S. House of Representatives would be narrowed from 219-214. But Grijalva has yet to seated — a fact that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) is blaming on the partial shutdown of the United States' federal government.
During Johnson's Thursday morning, October 16 appearance on CNBC's "Squawk Box," host Rebecca Quick wanted to know why Grijalva hasn't been seated yet and noted that Democratic Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has threatened legal action if she isn't seated soon.
Quick told Johnson, "I realize Congress is not in session, but it's been more than three weeks, and all the representatives in the House are being paid right now. Why can't you seat her?"
Johnson responded, "Well, A: not all the members of the House are being paid."
Quick, however, pointed out that "some of them have chosen not to take a paycheck," as they "are all under law allowed to receive a paycheck."
The CNBC host, however, noted that a "huge amount of politics" is involved — and Johnson responded by blaming Democrats, including Arizona's two Democratic U.S. senators: Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego.
Johnson told Quick, "Let me tell you what's happening here. The Rep.-elect Grijalva was elected after the House went out of session. So I have said this repeatedly: I'm delighted to administer the oath to her as soon as we get back to legislative session. The people who are preventing us from doing that, ironically, are the two Democrat senators from Arizona."