An incumbent Texas congresswoman has missed votes in Washington because she has lived in a $4,000-a-month nursing home for the past six months.
Kay Granger, 81, who was set to end a nearly 30-year career in the House of Representatives in January, has been missing from her office for the past six months.
The current longest-serving Republican representative had not voted for or against anything since July.
Carlos Turcios, a reporter for a local station, started doing some investigating by contacting her offices, which never responded to calls and went straight to voicemail.
Granger’s constituency office was also a complete ghost town when I visited, with no trace of anyone working there.
Ultimately, one of Granger’s constituents suggested to the Dallas Express that the congresswoman was living in an assisted living facility.
She was reportedly living in a care home that specializes in memory loss after being found “wandering, lost and confused” in her neighborhood.
A visit to the Tradition-Clearfork in Fort Worth resulted in two employees confirming that Granger lives there.
Kay Granger, 81, who was set to end a nearly 30-year career in the House of Representatives in January, has been missing from her office for the past six months
A visit to the Tradition-Clearfork in Fort Worth resulted in two employees confirming that Granger lives there
“This is her home,” said Taylor Manziel, assistant executive director of Tradition-Clearfork.
With a month left in her term and important votes still taking place daily in Washington, local officials are outraged to discover her absence.
“The lack of representation for CD-12 is troubling, to say the least,” said Tarrant County GOP Chairman Bo French.
“At a time when extremely important votes are taking place, including the 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.’
“The fact that Kay Granger cannot leave her nursing home to participate in the most important congressional vote of the year indicates that she was already visibly in decline when she ran for re-election in 2022,” said Rolando Garcia, a Republican committeeman in Congress. the district.
‘A sad and humiliating way to end her political career. Sad that no one cared enough to ‘take the keys’ before she reached this moment, and a sad commentary on the gerontocracy of Congress.”
The congresswoman and her staff will likely continue to collect their taxpayer-funded salaries.
The space she has lived in for the past six months, she says, charges more than $4,000 a month in rent. 360 West.
President Donald J. Trump poses for a photo with Rep. Kay Granger of Texas while attending Game 5 of the MLB World Series between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros
The current longest-serving Republican representative had not voted for or against anything since July
Amenities include a 24-hour concierge, lounges, card rooms, a movie theater, an indoor pool, and group exercise classes.
One resident questioned by Craig Goldman, the fellow Republican chosen to replace Granger, will not be sworn in early. Goldman has not yet commented.
In the Senate, New Jersey Democrat Andy Kim was sworn in a month earlier to replace the interim replacement for the disgraced Bob Menendez.
Until 2024, so was Granger the Republican chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
She said in November 2023 that she will not seek re-election in 2024 after almost thirty years. Congress.
Her district, which includes Fort Worth, is heavily Republican, as evidenced by Goldman’s election.
“It is time for the next generation to step up and take up the mantle and be a strong and fierce representative of the people,” Granger said in a statement.
Her decision ends a groundbreaking career, including that of Fort Worth’s first female mayor and Texas’ first Republican congresswoman.
Granger’s district is home to a Lockheed Martin factory that builds the F-35 fighter jet, and over the years it has been a key figure in securing more military funding.
Granger was among the Republicans who opposed Rep. Jim Jordan’s bid to become Speaker of the House of Representatives.
She said she will work with new Speaker Mike Johnson for the remainder of her term “to advance our conservative agenda.”