This is a very convenient side effect for Johnson, because Grijalva has said she’d be the tipping-point signature on a bipartisan resolution to force a vote on releasing the Epstein Files. That resolution is known as a discharge petition, and it means that if a Speaker refuses to bring a piece of legislation to the floor, a majority of the House can sign on to make sure it sees the light of day. The original sponsors are Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and only three more Republicans have signed on, all of them women: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), and Lauren Boebert (R-Co.).
Johnson has been so dedicated to avoiding this vote that September wasn’t even the first time Johnson sent lawmakers home early! In July, he put the House into recess amid rumblings that a group of lawmakers was planning to force a vote on the petition.
Also on Tuesday, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes sent Johnson a letter threatening to sue him if he didn’t seat Grijalva immediately now that the state has officially certified the results of the election.
“Bless her heart,” Johnson said on CNN on Wednesday. “She’s a representative elect, she doesn’t know how it works around here.” And on Thursday, Johnson told Jake Tapper that Grijalva “should be working for her constituents right now. I don’t know what she’s doing. I keep seeing their political stunt videos. She should be in her office. She should be working or in the district for her constituents.” Yet…she can’t until she’s sworn in lol.
The news outlet NOTUS reports that Johnson is not being honest about the House having to be in session: “Johnson has remained adamant that ‘ceremonial duty’ requires Congress be in session for Grijalva’s swearing in despite the fact that the House still meets for ‘pro forma’ sessions, which were used to swear in a pair of Florida Republicans who won special elections earlier this year.”
Republicans lying???? Color me shocked. Anyway, seat Grijalva, you cowards.
Senate Majority Leader. John Thune (R-S.D.) said women shouldn’t take medical advice from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a man he voted to confirm to lead the U.S. Health Department:
Thune: "If I were a woman I'd be talking to my doctor and not taking advice from RFK"
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2025-10-16T13:28:03.100Z
Man down by 20 points demands that his opponent condemn a Twitch streamer:
The question that concern all New Yorkers: will you condemn Hasan Piker?
— The Serfs (youtube.com/theserfstv) (@theserfstv.bsky.social) 2025-10-16T23:29:05.415Z
Even more barf:
- The president is in his prosecuting enemies era: Justice Department lawyers got a grand jury to indict his former national security adviser John Bolton, which makes three criminal cases, including New York AG Letitia James and former FBI director James Comey. He’s also yammering about targeting special counsel Jack Smith. [New York Times]
- A staffer for an Ohio Republican appeared to display an American flag altered to include a swastika inside a congressional office. Capitol Police are investigating. [Politico]
- The Department of Homeland Security spent $51 million so far this year on ads thanking President Trump for securing the border. The government isn’t supposed to spend taxpayer dollars on political messaging, but DHS claims these ads aren’t political. OK!!!! [Axios]
- Oh good! The administration is planning to shift terrorism-prevention funds from blue states to red states. [Reuters]
- Oh good, part two: The administration seems to be plotting regime change in Venezuela. [New York Times]
- The military has executed at least 27 people on boats in international waters, purportedly for smuggling drugs, and they can’t just be out here killing people when we’re not at war. [New York Times]
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has proposed price controls, aka communism. [NOTUS]
- Headline: “One Republican Now Controls a Huge Chunk of US Election Infrastructure” [Wired]
- Trump held a fundraising dinner at the White House to get donations for his dumb-ass ballroom project. In attendance were executives from Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Meta, Google, Amazon, and Palantir Technologies—many of whom have business with the government. Also, the Winklevoss twins… [Wall Street Journal]
- Speaking of suspicious interactions, a hot mic captured the president of Indonesia asking Trump for a meeting with his son Eric, who is an executive vice president of the Trump Organization. [Reuters]
- Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Charlie Kirk, whom he compared to Socrates. [The New Republic]
- Ketamine enthusiast and Tesla CEO Elon Musk demanded that Trump send troops into San Francisco due to an alleged “drug zombie apocalypse.” [The Independent]
- Inspiring: The Democratic establishment is coalescing around a 77-year-old Senate candidate, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who would be the oldest freshman senator ever elected! [NOTUS]
This has been your Friday Barf Bag, thanks for reading!