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An elderly Texas member of Congress who has been missing from the Capitol for six months has been found in a nursing home that specializes in memory care, according to a report.
Longtime Republican Rep. Kay Granger, 81, has not cast a vote in Washington D.C. since July — despite the GOP’s super-slim majority in the chamber.
Her prolonged absence sparked concern among constituents in Texas’ 12th Congressional District, which is in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.
Granger did not run for reelection in November, but her disappearance is especially significant given the tiny majority Republicans hold in the House — and the massive votes that are taking place, including the government spending bill — in the waning days of her tenure.
After calls to Granger’s offices were sent to voicemail, and her constituency office was found empty, a reporter at The Dallas Express received a tip that she had been staying at a memory care facility after being found lost and confused while wandering through her neighborhood.
Dallas Express reporters who visited the facility to confirm Granger’s residency and inquire about how she planned to vote on the spending bill were not permitted to speak with the congresswoman, according to the publication.
Employees, however, confirmed that Granger was living in the facility, the Express reported.
Taylor Manziel, the assistant executive director for the senior living facility, told the outlet, “This is her home.”
Local officials expressed their disappointment about Granger’s clear absence from Washington after representing her district since 1997.
Tarrant County Republican Chainman Bo French said the lack of representation during a crucial voting period in Congress was “troubling to say the least.”
“At a time when extraordinarily important votes are happening, including debt ceiling, disaster relief, farm bills and border issues, Kay Granger is nowhere to be found. The margin in Congress is razor thin and the lack of a Republican vote representing CD-12 disenfranchises 2 million people. We deserve better,” French said.
State Republican Executive Committeeman Rolando Garcia said it was a “sad and humiliating way” for Granger to end her 30-year political career, which included being mayor of Fort Worth.
“The fact that Kay Granger is unable to leave her nursing home to participate in the most important congressional vote of the year suggests she was already in visible decline when she ran for re-election in 2022,” Garcia wrote on X.
“A sad and humiliating way to end her political career. Sad that nobody cared enough to ‘take away the keys’ before she reached this moment. And a sad commentary on the congressional gerontocracy,” he added.
Granger’s constituents also expressed their concerns over the lack of representation, suggesting that Congressman-elect Craig Goldman, who won her seat in November, should take over the job early.
“We need someone there with their full capacities. Swear Craig in early. That’s the solution. That’s the right thing to do. She just missed a big vote, it wasn’t won/loss on one vote but we still have to protect our country, it’s not about hurt feelings. She’s a public servant, we have thanked her for her service but now she needs to resign,” Tarrant County resident Hollie Plemons told the Express.
Granger and her staff will remain on taxpayers’ payroll until Jan. 3.
