Rep. Kay Granger, R-Tex., who hasn't voted since July, in senior living facility, son says
The Texas congresswoman is "having some dementia issues" ahead of her retirement in January.
It's been nearly four months since one Texas Congress member has cast a vote.
U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, has missed votes in Congress and has been "having some dementia issues late in the year," her son told the Dallas Morning News. Granger, 81, last cast a vote on the morning of July 24.
Kay Granger's son Brandon Granger, 52, opened up to the Morning News about his mother's health.
The congresswoman now resides in a Fort Worth senior living facility called Tradition Senior Living. There are two locations on the same property, but Brandon Granger confirmed it is not the memory care facility, as some media outlets have reported. Granger said his mother is staying in the independent living facility to be around other seniors.
"There’s nothing wrong with someone wanting to live in a community with other folks their age," he told the Morning News. "She’s in a building with a lot of other folks her age that are super active that she really loves. She has exercise classes; she gets to be around people all the time; it’s wonderful for her for this point in life."
The Dallas Morning News obtained a statement from Granger's office, thanking the public for its concern. The congresswoman said that, beginning in early September, regular travel to Washington has been "both difficult and unpredictable" due to her health issues.
“As many of my family, friends, and colleagues have known, I have been navigating some unforeseen health challenges over the past year,” the statement said.
Granger also said she successfully traveled to Washington in November to hold meetings and oversee her office's closure. She also attended the unveiling of her portrait in the House Appropriations Committee chamber. Granger was the first Republican woman and the fourth Texan to chair the committee.
After entering office in 2023, her term will end Jan. 3. She announced her plans to retire in November 2023.
"It’s time for the next generation to step up and take the mantle and be a strong and fierce representative for the people," Granger said in her retirement announcement. "Although I am not running for re-election, I plan to serve out the remainder of my term and work with our new Speaker and my colleagues to advance our conservative agenda and finish the job I was elected to do."