The standoff over the Epstein files — and the new congresswoman caught in the middle

The federal government is in its second week of a shutdown with House Speaker Mike Johnson sending representatives home until October 13, which has delayed Rep-elect Adelita Grijalva's swearing-in since her September 23 election victory. This delay has become controversial as some lawmakers claim it's connected to blocking a bipartisan effort led by Representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna to force the release of Jeffrey Epstein-related files via a discharge petition. Johnson denies these allegations, stating he supports releasing the files but opposes their specific measure, citing victim privacy concerns and the ongoing House Oversight Committee investigation, while Grijalva points out that other recently elected representatives were sworn in within 24 hours of their victories.