Why a Sitting House Republican’s Son Admits She’s Unfit for Office

A bipartisan debate over the age of many prominent political leaders in Washington, D.C., reignited over the weekend after Republican Rep. Kay Granger was found to be living in an independent living facility in Texas following a six-month, unexplained absence from the Capitol.

As initially reported by The Dallas Express, Granger, 81, was said to have been living in a local memory care facility after she was found wandering lost and confused in her former neighborhood. Her son Brandon Granger told The Dallas Morning News Sunday that his mother has been “having some dementia issues late in the year” but that she was not in a facility for memory care.

Instead, Brandon clarified that Granger has been living at the Tradition Senior Living in Forth Worth. Advertised as a “resort-style living with ultra-inclusive services” on its website, the property has a memory care community on-site—though he said Granger is living in its independent living facility. A source added to Axios that Granger moved into the facility around July, which is also the last month she cast a vote in Washington, D.C., according to her roll-call vote page.

Granger’s sudden absence sparked concern among officials and other members of Congress, who took to social media and the press Sunday to express their stances on Congress’ age debate.

On the one hand, Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) told Axios in a statement that the public “is entitled to far greater transparency about the health of the elected officials who represent them.”

“The incapacitation of an elected official is a material fact that should be disclosed to the public, rather than concealed by staff,” he added.

Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) seemed to agree and wrote on X: “Kay Granger’s long absence reveals the problem with a Congress that rewards seniority & relationships more than merit & ideas. We have a sclerotic gerontocracy.

“We need term limits. We need to get big money out of politics so a new generation of Americans can run and serve,” he continued.

Meanwhile, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) expanded upon Granger’s case and pointed to other members of Congress writing on X, “I’m more concerned about the congressmen who have dementia and are still voting.”

A House Republican, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, also told Axios that Granger’s absence is “absolutely” worrying because her constituents “don’t have a vote.” They added that there isn’t enough urge to address Congress’ age issue though “there should be.”

Granger released a statement Sunday disclosing her personal health issues that made travel to Washington both “difficult and unpredictable.”

“As many of my family, friends, and colleagues have known, I have been navigating some unforeseen health challenges over the past year,” Granger wrote per Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram. “However, since early September, my health challenges have progressed making frequent travel to Washington both difficult and unpredictable.”

“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,” the U.S. representative for Texas’s 12th Congressional District continued. “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.”