CNN
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Kay Granger, a retired Texas congresswoman and former chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, has suffered from “dementia issues” in recent months and is living in an independent living facility, her son Brandon Granger told the Dallas Morning News on Sunday.
“It’s been a tough year,” he said, according to the Texas publication. Brandon Granger also told the outlet that his mother was living at Tradition Senior Living in Fort Worth, Texas, but was not in a memory care facility as some media outlets reported.
Rep. Granger’s son and the congressional office both said the 81-year-old congresswoman was not receiving treatment for her memory.
“There’s nothing wrong with someone wanting to live in a community with other people their age,” Brandon Granger said, according to the Dallas Morning News.
In a statement provided by the congresswoman’s office, Granger said her health issues had progressed since September and thanked her family and constituents for their support.
“I am deeply grateful for the outpouring of care and concern over the past few days. As many of my family, friends, and colleagues know, I have faced some unforeseen health challenges over the past year. However, since early September, my health problems have progressed, making frequent travel to Washington both difficult and unpredictable. During this time, my staff has remained loyal, continuing to provide exceptional service to constituents, as they have for the past 27 years,” Granger said in a written statement provided to CNN by his office.
A source familiar with the congresswoman’s situation told CNN that she moved into an independent living facility to downsize and prepare for the future. This person added that if the congresswoman had known she would not be able to vote in the final six weeks of the 118th Congress, preparations would have been different.
Granger voted for the last time in the House July 24according to a CNN review of his voting record. Granger announced last year that she not seeking re-election and this spring he resigned as chairman of the influential House Appropriations Committee. She did not vote on the recent package aimed at preventing a government shutdown.
“As I announce my decision not to run again, I am encouraged by the next generation of leaders in my district. It is time for the next generation to take over and be a strong and fierce representative of the people,” Granger said in a statement in November 2023.
Although she hasn’t voted since July, Granger has returned to Washington at least once since. In mid-November, she participated in the official unveiling of a portrait and was celebrated by his colleagues for his career at the top of the powerful Appropriations Committee.
Granger was the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the House and has represented the 12th Congressional District, which includes Fort Worth, since 1997. She is replaced by Republican Texas House member Craig Goldman.