‘Missing’ US congresswoman, 81, found in assisted living facility with ‘dementia issues’

The US Congress passed spending legislation in a down-to-the-wire burst of activity that averted a destabilising government shutdown early on Dec 21, Reuters reported.

But amid the frenetic negotiations and debate which engulfed Washington in recent weeks, speculation about the whereabouts of a Republican politician from Texas began to mount.

According to a review of her voting record by US news outlet CNN, Ms Kay Granger, 81, last voted on the House of Representatives floor on July 24.

Concern about her whereabouts had been growing among her constituents in Tarrant and Parker counties in Texas. Ms Granger, who represents Texas Congressional District 12, was later found by reporters to be living in a senior care facility.

According to a Dec 20 report in The Dallas Express, reporters had attempted to reach her without success. The report said phone calls to her office went to voicemail, and a visit to her office found it locked and unoccupied.

The Texas publication later received a tip alleging that Ms Granger had been living in the memory care wing of a senior living facility.

Employees of the facility confirmed that the congresswoman has been living in the facility, but did not allow reporters to ask Ms Granger – who is the first female Republican to represent Texas in the House of Representatives – if she planned to vote on the spending debate.

The news appeared to trouble members of her own Republican Party.

Tarrant County Republican chairman Bo French told The Dallas Express: “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 two million people. We deserve better.”

On Dec 22, Ms Granger’s son told The Dallas Morning News that his mother had been experiencing “dementia issues” and had been living in the Tradition Senior Living facility located in Fort Worth, Texas. He added that she was not in the facility’s memory care wing – an assisted residence for people with health issues such as dementia and Alzheimer’s – as some media outlets had reported.

In a Facebook post on Dec 20 – the same day that The Dallas Express report was published – Ms Granger posted a picture of herself with a group of her congressional interns and said she was “honoured” to have had them assisting her and her team.

Dozens of comments were left on the post, with many calling for her resignation and questioning why she had not represented her constituents since July. Netizen Aydont Rally said: “She’s been in a care home for at least the last six months? When were you going to tell us about that?”

Another netizen, Amy Rodgers, added: “Everyone who has played a part in hiding her and covering up the fact that she was missing, or knew that she was in an assisted living facility for dementia, needs to be held accountable.”

A statement from Ms Granger’s office said the congresswoman had been experiencing worsening health issues since September, which had made frequent travel to Washington, DC, “both difficult and unpredictable”.

“During this time, my staff has remained steadfast, continuing to deliver exceptional constituent services, as they have for the past 27 years,” she said in the written statement to CNN.

In 2023, Ms Granger said she would not seek re-election, and stepped down as the chair of the US House Appropriations Committee earlier in 2024.

On Nov 19, she was honoured for her contributions in Washington, DC, by members of the House. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise hailed her as “a tough-as-nails conservative leader, barrier breaker and dedicated representative who has demonstrated unwavering commitment to our country and her constituents”.

According to CNN, Ms Granger would be succeeded by fellow Republican Craig Goldman.