CNBC’s Rebecca Quick confronted House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) over his refusal to seat Democratic Representative-elect Adelita Grijalva amid the specter of a lawsuit from Arizon’s legal professional normal.
Johnson joined CNBC’s Squawk Box on Thursday morning, the place Quick requested the Republican chief why he has not sworn within the elected Democrat after her victory in an Arizona particular election.
“I realize Congress is not in session, but it’s been more than 3 weeks, and all the representatives in the House are being paid right now. Why can’t you see her?” Quick requested.
“Well, not all the members of the house are being paid,” Johnson stated.
“Well, some of them have chosen not to take a paycheck, they are all under law allowed to receive a paycheck,” Quick shot again.
She famous that Arizona’s legal professional normal has threatened to sue Johnson for taxation with out illustration over his failure to swear within the state’s full delegation. Johnson has argued that he can’t seat Grijalva till the federal government is reopened and Democrats agree to a unbroken decision funding deal.
“They are saying that this is a huge amount of politics, you’re using this as leverage by not cheating them and Arizona is saying this is taxation without representation,” Quick instructed Johnson.
“Yeah, I’m shocked that there’s another Democrat politician from Arizona seeking publicity right now. Now the state AG is involved,” Johnson stated.
“You haven’t seated their full delegation,” Quick identified.
“She’s going to sue me, I’m sure,” Johnson continued.
“She’s not going to sue you. The attorney general of Arizona is going to sue you for their people not being able to be fully represented,” Quick stated.
“No, that’s who I’m referring to, I know, and she wants publicity, too, and it’s all a farce. 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,” Johnson stated, referring to Sens. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).
Some critics have argued Johnson refusing to seat Grijalva is due to the truth that she would seemingly be one other vote in favor of Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY) legislation to launch extra recordsdata associated to late youngster intercourse predator Jeffrey Epstein.
Johnson argued, nonetheless, that he’s utilizing a “precedent” arrange his predecessor, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
“I’m following right now the Pelosi precedent,” he stated. “When my dear friend and colleague from Louisiana, Julia Letlow, in very similar circumstances was elected to fill in a special election to fill the seat of her late husband who passed, died because of COVID, Nancy Pelosi took 25 days to administer the oath.”
Watch above through CNBC.
The put up ‘Why Can’t You Seat Her?’ CNBC Host Grills Mike Johnson Over His Refusal to Seat Democrat Amid Lawsuit Threat first appeared on Mediaite.