HARRISBURG, — A Democratic-led effort to force debate on whether to have federal authorities look into how the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse investigation was handled tied up the state House of Representatives on Wednesday, causing the Republican speaker to abruptly end the session.

Speaker Sam Smith adjourned the chamber after Democrats tried to force discussion of a resolution asking the U.S. attorney’s office to investigate the matter, including whether the three-year probe of allegations against the former Penn State assistant football coach took too long, putting children’s safety at risk. It was unclear what will happen to the so-called discharge resolution when the House resumes session in two weeks, but Democratic leaders vowed to press for a floor debate on it.

The Sandusky investigation was begun under then-attorney general Tom Corbett, a Republican who successfully campaigned for governor before news of the scandal broke early last year. Sandusky was charged in November and was convicted in June on charges he abused 10 boys, some on campus. He’s jailed ahead of sentencing next week but maintains his innocence.

Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley called it a case of House Democrats “playing politics with an outstanding and complete investigation.”

House Democratic Leader Frank Dermody said he hoped to learn whether the timing of the investigation was manipulated to help Corbett’s gubernatorial campaign.

The resolution, introduced in December with only three Republican co-sponsors, said an outside probe was needed “to completely investigate why the Office of Attorney General took so long to investigate this matter.”