- Rep. Kay Granger, an 81-year-old Republican with reported dementia, is staying in assisted living while holding office.
- Granger hasn't voted since July, stirring discussion on placing term limits for members of Congress.
- Many top congressional leaders, including 82-year-old Mitch McConnell and 84-year-old Nancy Pelosi, are also facing scrutiny over their health.
The case of Rep. Kay Granger, a retiring 81-year-old Republican, is stirring controversy over Congress’ trend of shielding elderly lawmakers and conversations around reform. Recent reporting suggests the Texas representative is struggling with dementia and is staying at an assisted-living facility — all while holding office.
Granger hasn’t cast a vote at the Capitol since July this year. Reacting to the news, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, in a post on X, said, Granger’s story makes a “compelling case for term limits.” Meanwhile, Elon Musk suggested a “basic cognitive test for elected officials.”
Axios political reporter Hans Nichols in an appearance on “CNN Monday” indicated journalists should have found out these facts earlier, but a lack of resources across newsrooms makes it harder to report all the necessary stories.
“(We) … have limited resources and limited time to report all these stories out. That said, we should have gotten the Kay Granger story. I mean, I’ll own part of that, as someone that spends some time on the Hill. You know, collectively we’re all guilty. Like, you know, individually, it’s hard to parse out guilt,” Nichols said.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., also chimed in on X and revealed what he believes is the issue on Capitol Hill.
“Kay Granger’s long absence reveals the problem with a Congress that rewards seniority & relationships more than merit & ideas,” he said. “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,” Khanna added.
Granger is set to retire next month, and her seat will be filled by Republican Craig Goldman. She stepped down from the influential House Appropriations Committee earlier this year. This panel is responsible for drafting spending bills that keep the government funded.
Her office said she experienced “unforeseen health challenges over the past year.”
“However, since early September, my health challenges have progressed making frequent travel to Washington both difficult and unpredictable,” the statement said, as The Associated Press reported.
Her son, Brandon Granger, defended her. “There’s nothing wrong with someone wanting to live in a community with other folks their age,” he told the Dallas Morning News.
Many top congressional leaders are also drawing scrutiny. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 82, has suffered a series of falls as of late, and, on two instances last year, he froze mid-remarks. He is stepping down as the Senate Republican leader. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 84, sustained an injury from a hard fall while going down a marble staircase at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg earlier this month.