Congresswoman misses months of votes for reported condition

Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, has moved into an independent living facility in Ft. Worth due to health challenges, her son told The Dallas Morning News on Sunday. He went on to say that Granger, age 81, has experienced dementia issues over the past few months. He denied previous media reports that she was living in a memory care facility. Granger thanked the public for its outpouring of support in a statement from her office provided to CNN. She has been dealing with unexpected health challenges over the past year, but they have become particularly acute since September, according to the statement. Granger said those challenges have made travel to and from Washington D.C. difficult and unexpected.

Why is this coming out at this particular time? Questions emerged after Granger stopped showing up for House votes. Granger has not taken part in a House floor vote since July 24, according to CNN. The official webpage for listing her past votes appeared to be disabled Monday afternoon. The House clerk’s website indicated she hadn’t voted since at least mid-September. The Dallas Express questioned her absence and last week became the first to report about her absences. Granger’s social media accounts have remained active through a Dec. 20 post, which included an image of the congresswoman posing with her office’s congressional interns. The post was written in the first person as if coming from Granger, thanking the interns for their service. It did not mention her health challenges.

What about the future of Granger’s House seat? In November 2023, Granger issued a statement saying she would not seek reelection. Newly-elected Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Texas, is expected to step into her seat next month.

Dig deeper: Read Leo Briceno’s report about newly elected members of the House of Representatives arriving in Washington D.C. last month for freshman orientation.