Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, has been living in a retirement facility, as per a source speaking to Fox News on Sunday. The source refuted a local news report claiming she was in a memory care facility.
Granger, who is set to retire at the end of this congressional term, has been noticeably absent from the Capitol recently, with her last votes cast on July 24. She missed over 54% of votes.
The Dallas Express conducted an investigation into the 81-year-old congresswoman’s absence, releasing a report on Friday alleging she was in a memory care facility in Texas. The report was picked up by other news outlets.
Fox News spoke with a source from Granger’s office who denied the claim of her being in a memory care unit. The source clarified that Granger is in a retirement facility where memory care is available, but not in the memory care unit itself.
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Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, exits the House Republicans caucus meeting at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Granger provided a statement to Fox News expressing gratitude for the concern and care shown during her “health challenges.”
“As many of my family, friends, and colleagues have known, I have been dealing with unexpected health issues over the past year,” Granger mentioned in the statement. “However, since early September, my health challenges have worsened, making frequent travel to Washington difficult and unpredictable. During this time, my exceptional staff has continued to deliver outstanding constituent services, as they have for the past 27 years.”
Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, speaks at a press conference with other Republican House members at the Capitol on July 21, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
Granger, who opted not to run for reelection in the upcoming term, has been serving in the House since 1997. She previously held the distinction of being the first female mayor of Fort Worth, Texas.
Although Granger has not participated in voting since July, she did return to the Capitol in November for the unveiling of her portrait as Appropriations Committee Chairwoman, as well as an ensuing reception. House Speaker Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise both spoke at the event.
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An anonymous senior Republican source told Fox News that Granger delayed stepping down earlier due to the narrow GOP House majority.
“Frankly, we needed the numbers,” the source said to Fox News.
The slim majority poses a challenge for the speaker of the 119th Congress, where vote attendance could determine Republican success or defeat.
Fox News reached out to Johnson’s office for comment.
Granger’s extended absence was criticized by Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., in a post on X.
“Kay Granger’s prolonged absence highlights the issue with a Congress that values seniority & relationships over merit & ideas,” he commented. “We have an aged governing system. We require term limits. We must eliminate big money from politics so a new generation of Americans can step up and serve.”
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Khanna was one of the few lawmakers who previously denounced what he termed the “gerontocracy.” In May 2023, he urged Democratic Rep. Dianne Feinstein, who was then 89, to resign due to her health issues that kept her away from the Capitol. Feinstein passed away in September 2023.
