Transcription
AND COULD IT FINALLY BRING ABOUT A CEASEFIRE? ABOUT A CEASEFIRE?
WELCOME BACK TO THE WEEKEND. WELCOME BACK TO THE WEEKEND PRIMETIME. WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN THIS HOUR WITH THE NEWEST MEMBER OF CONGRESS BEING SIDELINED DUE TO THE FALLOUT OVER THE ONGOING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN AND POTENTIALLY THE JEFFREY EPSTEIN SAGA.
THIS WEEK, ARIZONA'S CONGRESSWOMAN ELECT ADELITA GRIJALVA TRAVELED TO WASHINGTON, D.C. EXPECTING TO BE SWORN INTO OFFICE AFTER WINNING A SPECIAL ELECTION FOR HER LATE FATHER'S SEAT IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA. WELL, A SWEARING IN CEREMONY WAS NOT ORGANIZED, AND IT'S NOT CLEAR WHEN EXACTLY IT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE. SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON CLAIMS IT'S BECAUSE THE HOUSE HAS NOT RETURNED TO A NORMAL SESSION DUE TO THE SHUTDOWN, BUT DEMOCRATS BELIEVE THE REAL REASON FOR THE DELAY IS THAT GRIJALVA PLANS TO PROVIDE THE FINAL SIGNATURE ON A PETITION THAT WOULD FORCE A HOUSE VOTE TO RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES.
HERE'S CONGRESSWOMAN ELECT GRIJALVA THIS WEEKEND.
>> THERE'S BEEN.
>> A LOT OF.
>> CONVERSATION ABOUT WHY I HAVEN'T BEEN SWORN IN WHEN.
>> THERE ARE.
>> THREE OTHER MEMBERS, DEMOCRAT AND REPUBLICAN, THAT WERE ELECTED IN SPECIALS LIKE I WAS, THAT WERE SWORN IN. WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THEIR ELECTION. AND HERE I AM, TEN DAYS OUT, STILL WAITING. A LOT OF TALK ABOUT ME BEING THE 218TH SIGNER FOR THE DISCHARGE PETITION FOR THE EPSTEIN FILES, WHICH I WILL DO AS SOON AS I'M SWORN IN. THE TIMING IS VERY SUSPECT.
>> AND THE CONGRESSWOMAN ELECT OF ARIZONA, SHE JOINS US NOW. CONGRESSWOMAN ELECT, IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU. THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE SHOW. SO DO YOU HAVE ANY CLARITY ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE SWORN IN? WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD FROM SPEAKER JOHNSON?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FROM SPEAKER JOHNSON AT ALL. AND SO IT'S REALLY IT IS VERY SUSPICIOUS. THE TIMING, THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, AT TWO OTHER MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SWORN IN DURING A PRO FORMA DAY ON APRIL 2ND, NO PROBLEM AT ALL, HAD ANOTHER COLLEAGUE, WALKINSHAW FROM VIRGINIA, SWORN IN IN UNDER 24 HOURS. HE'S A DEMOCRAT. THE OTHER TWO ARE REPUBLICANS.
>> AND SO.
>> THE MAJORITY DOESN'T CHANGE BECAUSE I GET SWORN IN. THE ONLY THING THAT I CAN POINT TO THAT IS DIFFERENT, THAT ONE. I'M A WOMAN, A WOMAN OF COLOR, A CHICANA, BUT ALSO THAT I'M GOING TO BE SIGNING THE DISCHARGE PETITION FOR THE EPSTEIN FILES.
>> AND WHY DO YOU THINK MIKE JOHNSON IS SO BOTHERED BY THE FACT THAT YOU WILL BE THE 218TH PERSON TO SIGN THE DISCHARGE PAPERS?
>> YOU KNOW.
>> I REALLY AM NOT A CONSPIRACY THEORIST TYPE OF PERSON IN GENERAL. I TRY TO COME UP WITH LIKE, WHAT IS THE MOST PLAUSIBLE REASON WHY THIS WOULD BE HAPPENING? AND RESPECTFULLY, I CAN COME UP WITH NOTHING ELSE, BECAUSE THE MAJORITY DOESN'T CHANGE BECAUSE I'M SWORN IN. YOU KNOW, I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO SPEAKER PELOSI, WHO SAID IT'S VERY STANDARD FOR THERE TO BE SWEARING INS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ESPECIALLY DURING THESE REALLY CRITICAL TIMES. AND THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SHUTDOWN, BECAUSE I WAS IN D.C. ON A PRO FORMA DAY BEFORE THE SHUTDOWN, AND I COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN SWORN IN.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN ELECT, IS THERE ANY LEVERAGE THAT DEMOCRATS COULD USE TO PRESSURE JOHNSON TO DO THIS? I MEAN, WHAT KIND OF A RUCKUS COULD THEY START, SO TO SPEAK? IT JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS REMINDS ME A BIT OF, YOU KNOW, MERRICK GARLAND ESQUE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE LEVERS THAT THEY CAN USE EVEN THOUGH THEY AREN'T IN POWER RIGHT NOW? YOU KNOW, I KNOW.
>> WE'RE EXPLORING EVERY OPTION THERE IS. IS THERE AN OPTION FOR A FEDERAL JUDGE TO SWEAR ME IN ONCE MY RACE IS COMPLETELY CERTIFIED BY THE STATE OF ARIZONA, AND THAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN ON OCTOBER 14TH? IF I AM NOT SWORN IN BY THEN, I MEAN, I CAN IMAGINE THE KIND OF OUTRAGE I WILL BE. WE WILL BE HEARING FROM PEOPLE. I JUST HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO AN EVENT RIGHT NOW. THERE WERE 300 PEOPLE THERE.
>> AT LEAST.
>> 100 ASKED ME WITH SOME COLORFUL LANGUAGE WHEN I'M GOING TO GET SWORN IN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO THIS COMMUNITY TO HAVE A VOICE AND TO HAVE CONSTITUENT SERVICES. WHEN THE GOVERNMENT IS IN A SHUTDOWN, TO EXPLAIN THINGS ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING, AND TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND SERVICES TO THOSE WHO NEED IT. AND I CAN DO NONE OF THOSE THINGS. CANNOT HIRE STAFF. CANNOT. I MEAN, MY NAME IS ON MY DOOR, MY OFFICE DOOR IN D.C. AND I HAVE NO KEYS TO GET IN. I CAN'T GET IN THE BUILDING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE IN A SHUTDOWN.
>> SPEAKER MIKE JOHNSON SPOKE WITH NBC'S KRISTEN WELKER. I WANT TO PLAY SOME OF THAT CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND THEN TALK ON THE OTHER SIDE.
>> MANY DEMOCRATS HAVE LOOKED AT YOUR MOVE. THEY SAY THE HOUSE IS NOT IN SESSION BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO SWEAR IN THIS NEWLY ELECTED SENATOR, THE CONGRESSWOMAN, DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN FROM ARIZONA, WHO WOULD BE A CRITICAL VOTE TO RELEASING THE EPSTEIN FILES. HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?
>> ABSURD. THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT. IT'S ANOTHER RED HERRING. THE REASON THE GOVERNMENT IS CLOSED IS BECAUSE SCHUMER AND 43 OF HIS DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES IN THE SENATE HAVE DECIDED NOW TO VOTE MULTIPLE TIMES TO KEEP THE GOVERNMENT CLOSED.
>> WHAT'S YOUR MESSAGE BACK TO SPEAKER JOHNSON, AND WHAT KIND OF PRECEDENT DO YOU THINK THIS IS GOING TO SET?
>> WELL, THE FACT THAT REPUBLICANS WERE ON VACATION WHILE DEMOCRATS WERE THERE, READY TO NEGOTIATE BEFORE THE SHUTDOWN, THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE ANY REAL, MEANINGFUL CONVERSATION, BASICALLY, HOUSE REPUBLICANS SAID, THIS IS OUR BUDGET, SENATE. YOU DEAL WITH IT OR DON'T, WE'RE GOING TO SHUT IT DOWN. IF YOU DON'T AGREE TO OUR TERMS. AND WHAT THE DEMOCRATS ARE FIGHTING FOR IS HEALTH CARE FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN ARIZONA. 1 IN 5 CHILDREN IS GOING TO LOSE HEALTH CARE IF WE CAN'T ROLL BACK SOME OF THE DEVASTATING CUTS FROM THE BIG, BEAUTIFUL, HORRIBLE, WRETCHED BILL.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN ELECT.
>> WE'RE FIGHTING.
>> OH, SORRY. MUCH LIKE THEY DESCENDED ON WASHINGTON AFTER LABOR DAY WHEN SPEAKER JOHNSON WOULDN'T LET THE EPSTEIN FILES COME UP FOR A VOTE. MORE EPSTEIN VICTIMS ARE GOING TO COME BACK TO WASHINGTON THIS WEEK TO ADVOCATE FOR THE RELEASE OF THESE FILES. WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HAVE FOR THE VICTIMS FOR WHY IT'S TAKING YET ANOTHER DELAY. YOU'RE SWEARING IN TO HAVE JUSTICE.
>> I CAN'T IMAGINE THE FRUSTRATION FOR VICTIMS THAT JUST WANT JUSTICE. THEY WANT THE PEOPLE THAT PERPETRATED CRIMES AGAINST THEM TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE AND CULPABLE PUBLICLY FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE, AND GIVE THESE VICTIMS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD AND BEGIN THIS PROCESS OF HEALING. THIS CONTINUES TO REOPEN WOUNDS FOR VICTIMS.
>> AND REALLY.
>> IS VERY IT SHOULD BE VERY CONCERNING FOR EVERY PERSON IN THIS NATION ABOUT HOW MANY TIMES JOHNSON HAS SHUT DOWN CONGRESS IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS INFORMATION GETTING OUT TO THE PUBLIC. WE JUST WANT PUBLIC. WE JUST WANT TRANSPARENCY.
>> CONGRESSMAN, CAN I ASK YOU REALLY QUICKLY, AS SOMEBODY WHO JUST CAME OFF OF AN ELECTION, I MEAN, WAS THE EPSTEIN FILES AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS, OR HAS IT GAINED NEW LIFE IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS? JUST GIVE US A SENSE OF WHY IT HAS BECOME, SINCE YOU'VE SEEN IT PLAY OUT IN YOUR RACE, AND CERTAINLY NOW IN THE POSITION THAT, AS YOU ARE SAYING, MIKE JOHNSON FOR MORE OR LESS, I GUESS LACK OF BETTER WORDS IS KIND OF PUNISHING YOU FOR THIS POSITION, OR AT LEAST DENYING YOU YOUR RIGHT TO BE SWORN IN BECAUSE OF THIS POSITION. HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT ON THE ELECTION TRAIL?
>> YOU KNOW, WE HAD ONE QUESTION ABOUT IT IN THE GENERAL DEBATE AND NEVER REALLY HEARD ABOUT IT FROM INDIVIDUAL CONSTITUENTS. ALL THEY DID WANT TO KNOW, AS WE GOT CLOSER TO THE END IS WILL YOU SIGN THAT DISCHARGE PETITION? THAT WAS IT.
>> AND MY GENERAL OPPONENT, A REPUBLICAN, SAID HE WOULD HAVE SIGNED IT TOO. SO THAT WAS NOT A HUGE ISSUE HERE LOCALLY. IT HAS BECOME A BIGGER ISSUE BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHAT ARE IN THESE FILES AND WHY IS THERE SO MUCH RESISTANCE FOR ME, PUTTING THIS ISSUE FORWARD TO CONGRESS TO VOTE ON.