The congressional office of Republican Rep. Kay Granger of Texas denied that she is in memory care after a report in the Dallas Express said she had not been to Washington in months and that she had been found at Tradition-Clearfork in Fort Worth, where she was receiving counseling housing and memory care, in addition to independent living for seniors.
Tradition-Clearfork declined to comment Sunday, but Granger’s son confirmed to the Dallas Morning News that she was a resident. However, he said she is in the independent living wing, not the memory care wing of the facility.
He also acknowledged that his mother “had suffered from dementia issues late in the year.”
Granger, who has represented the 12th Congressional District since 1997, announced in late 2023 that she would not run for re-election and abruptly resigned from her post as chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee in late March. She cast her last vote in Congress in July.
She will be succeeded by Craig Goldman when the new Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2025.
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On Sunday, her office released a statement saying, “Kay Granger is not in Memory Care,” and released a statement from the congresswoman, who said, “As many of my family, friends and colleagues know, I am experiencing a number of unforeseen health challenges of the past year.”
She said her health problems have increased since early September, making frequent travel to Washington both difficult and unpredictable.
Granger, 81, acknowledged returning to Washington in November for some meetings, thanked her staff and oversaw the closure of her congressional office.
At the time, the House Appropriations Committee honored her by unveiling her portrait during a ceremony on November 19. However, although the House voted that day, she did not participate.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, another Republican in the Texas delegation, said:Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan on Sunday that he was not aware of Granger’s health status before the latest reports emerged from Dallas.
“I think there’s no question that many of us knew she was getting older, as many members do. And unfortunately, some of these members are waiting until things have gone too far,” Gonzales said. The congressman told Brennan he was unsure how well House leaders understood the situation.
“I’m not so sure what the leaders knew or didn’t know about it,” he continued. “I think this goes … back to the heart of it. Congress should be doing its job, and if you can’t do your job, maybe you shouldn’t be there.”
