A “missing” congresswoman who has not cast a single vote in the U.S. House of Representatives since July has been found living in a nursing home.
Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) — an 81-year-old lawmaker who has represented Texas’ 12th congressional district since 1997 and currently serves as chair of the House Appropriations Committee — has been “missing” from Congress for more than five months. Her last recorded vote occurred on July 24.
WOW: Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), who hasn't voted on a bill in six months, has been living in a nursing home in secret.
Records show she has a staff of 25. If any of them knew – and it would be hard not to know – they are complicit. pic.twitter.com/Qit2jeqsAL
— Angela Morabito (@AngelaLMorabito) December 22, 2024
While Granger did announce her plans to retire at the end of her term in 2025, she is being blasted for going missing and refusing to disclose her condition, which effectively meant that her constituents did not have any representation in Congress.
81-year-old Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), who hasn’t been seen for 6 months, found living in a dementia care facility.
Being a politician shouldn’t be a lifelong career. It should be something one reluctantly does for the betterment of society.
It’s time Congress gets term limits. pic.twitter.com/46jqalSCHT
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) December 22, 2024
Granger’s absence was investigated by Dallas Express reporter Carlos Turcios, who discovered that the elderly congresswoman had been moved to an assisted living center that specializes in memory care. The reporter visited the nursing home as part of his investigation into Granger’s absence, where he was told by the facility’s assistant executive director that “this is her home.”
The congresswoman’s office has since released a statement attempting to downplay the issue, claiming that she is not in “memory care,” she’s just in a facility that specializes in memory care.
“I am deeply grateful for the outpouring of care and concern over the past several days,” the statement, supposedly from the elderly congresswoman, read. “As many of my family, friends, and colleagues have known, I have been navigating some unforeseen health challenges over the past year. However, since early September, my health challenges have progressed making frequent travel to Washington both difficult and unpredictable.”
“During this time, my incredible staff has remained steadfast, continuing to deliver exceptional constituent services, as they have for the past 27 years,” the statement continued. “In November, I was able to return to DC to hold meetings on behalf of my constituents, express my gratitude to my staff, and oversee the closure of my Washington office. It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the city of Fort Worth—as a city council member, as mayor, and as a Member of Congress. Thank you for your continued prayers and support that you have extended to me.”
This news has only served to reignite the tense debate around term limits or age limits for political office, as many Americans are rightfully concerned that the United States has become a gerontocracy — where elderly people are refusing to cede power to the younger generations, whether because of their love of power or greed.
