Kay Granger’s absence from House tops off year of age concerns for key leaders

Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX) capped a year of public discontent over older political leaders clinging to power even in the face of glaring health concerns that people on both sides of the aisle believe signal a need for change.
Last week the Dallas Express reported that the Texas congresswoman had been found at a memory care unit and assisted living home, based on a tip from a constituent. Granger’s son, Brandon Granger, told the New York Post his mother made her own decision to move into the retirement community, though she has since shown signs of dementia over the past three months.
Kay Granger, the former top GOP appropriator, has not been seen on Capitol Hill since November and has not cast a vote since July.
She is the most recent member of the federal government to face severe health problems, following closely behind several aging members diagnosed with cancer, making many hospital visits, or visibly faltering in everyday actions in front of reporters and fellow lawmakers.
Though Kay Granger’s office denied to the Washington Examiner that the congresswoman was in memory care, the growing scrutiny over her ability to serve her constituents is becoming part of a larger argument in favor of a generational change in political leaders.
“Kay Granger’s long absence reveals the problem with a Congress that rewards seniority & relationships more than merit & ideas,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said in a post to X. “We have a sclerotic gerontocracy.”
Khanna was one of a few lawmakers who called on the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to retire when it was clear she could no longer perform her duties, missing key votes after being diagnosed with shingles.
“We need term limits,” Khanna added. “We need to get big money out of politics so a new generation of Americans can run and serve.”
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House Appropriations Committee Chair Kay Granger (R-TX) and her panel begin work on fiscal 2024 spending bills, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
Granger joins Pelosi, Biden, and McConnell under microscope over ailments and age
Kay Granger, 81, is one of the oldest members of the House. However, while she is retiring and will not return to the legislative body next year, some of her fellow older members successfully sought another term.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), 84, will remain on Capitol Hill. Though she decided to step down after two decades in House leadership in 2022, she has remained instrumental as the ”godmother” of the Democratic Party.
Several reports have detailed she was the driving force behind President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. She also whipped behind the scenes to install Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) as the new ranking member of the House Oversight Committee instead of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), a rejection of calls from progressives and younger members for fresh blood in Democratic leadership ranks after the 2024 election.
Yet Pelosi is not without her own ailments. On Dec. 13, Pelosi was hospitalized and fractured her hip while on a congressional delegation to Luxembourg. A photo of the members who attended the delegation showed her firmly gripping the hand of Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX).
A Democratic source told the Washington Examiner last month, prior to Pelosi’s fall, that it was time for the longtime congresswoman to go for the sake of her legacy.
“Pelosi is done. She should quit now before completely destroying her legacy. It’s sad to see her go out this way: old, bitter, and desperate for relevance,” the source said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the situation.
At the top of the list for age concerns was none other than Biden himself. Following the first and only presidential debate between him and President-elect Donald Trump, over 35 House Democrats called on Biden to step aside as the nominee after showing signs of declining capabilities: mistaking lawmakers, asking for a dead congresswoman, falling down stairs and off bikes, and relying on teleprompters at events, among other things.
Republicans blasted Democrats and Biden allies for covering up Biden’s declining mental facilities, while Democrats praised him for his years of service but begged him to step aside so the party could find someone to beat Trump.
“A lot of people must have known,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said in a post to X. “She hadn’t done her job in a long time. Where was Rep. Kay Granger’s staff? They were covering for her dementia.”
“Why does this sound familiar?” Lee continued, including a photo of Biden.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wears a bandage on his face as he walks to cast a vote on the Senate floor after falling during a luncheon on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Like Kay Granger, other elderly members faced health problems this year but still opted to stay in office. The late Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) was in and out of the hospital for over a month. However, he intended to run for reelection and, at age 87, was on track to be the oldest member of the House before he died.
On the Senate side, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), 82, fell leaving a GOP lunch in mid-December. He had a scratch on his face that bled and sprained his wrist, but Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) said he was “100%.” This comes after a series of freezing episodes where McConnell stood still and appeared to be unable to speak during several press conferences. McConnell will not serve in leadership next year, though he will remain in the Senate.
“People in the D.C. bubble wonder why trust in government is so low — it’s because of sh*t like this,” a Democratic aide told the Washington Examiner. “I’m sure we have some well-meaning octogenarians in Congress, but could it be any more obvious that major change is needed.”
Lawmakers split on how to address Kay Granger age concern
Many Republicans said they were unaware of Granger’s mental and medical state.
One House Republican told the Washington Examiner he had “no idea she was missing the whole time.”
“I obviously don’t know all the personal details that drove this decision but I don’t blame constituents who believe they deserved to know and who wanted representation the last six months,” the member said.
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) said Sunday on Face the Nation he wasn’t sure if leadership even knew that the Texas congresswoman was in a memory care facility.
“Sadly, some of these members wait until things have gone too far,” said Gonzales.
Another House GOP lawmaker told the Washington Examiner that they are not hearing any frustration in Republican circles regarding Kay Granger or other elderly members but was personally concerned her staff and family let her district effectively be without representation for six months.
“That’s not right,” the member said. “Thank God they’ve got a young and handsome guy like Craig [Goldman] coming in to be their congressman.”
How the House will move forward in terms of policy remains to be seen.
Rep.-elect Jeff Crank (R-CO) urged Khanna to follow through on his words and join efforts to impose term limits.
“And yet @RoKhanna I don’t see you as a cosponsor of the term limits Congressional resolution, a signer of the term limits pledge, or pushing the Dem caucus to join Republican caucus and put term limits on committee chairmen,” Crank said in a post responding to the California Democrat. “I will cosponsor the @USTermLimits bill! Join me.”
Elon Musk, who has quickly inserted himself into congressional politics after Trump appointed him a co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, has amplified posts over the last few days that call for term limits. Though not an elected official, Musk has proven to hold considerable sway over both the president-elect and members of Congress in the weeks following the election.
However, other Republicans don’t think an “arbitrary age limit is the answer here.”
“Joe Biden and Donald Trump are virtually the same age. Biden is a vegetable, and President Trump is the sharpest man I’ve ever known,” a House Republican said. “In my opinion, we already have a cognitive test. It’s called an election.”
“I’m not saying Rep. [G]ranger shouldn’t have stepped down much earlier, but if we start dictating all of these requirements to serve in government, where does it end … If you don’t see or hear from your member of congress then vote them out,” the member added.
One House Democrat echoed the GOP lawmaker, arguing that it’s “up to the voters” to decide whether it’s time for their incumbent representative to leave office. When asked if there should be more transparency and accountability demanded of members who are going through medical problems, the Democrat said it was a tough call.
“I’m a big believer in healthcare privacy but constituents probably do deserve to know if there is a serious issue,” the House Democrat said.
Democratic strategist Brad Bannon told the Washington Examiner he is against term limits because it would bring in a “lot of newbies” to the legislative branch and essentially expand the reach of the executive branch.
“It disrupts the balance of power,” Bannon said.
He did agree that keeping the status of Kay Granger’s condition out of the limelight was “crazy” and a “great disservice” to her district. Bannon thinks something needs to be “done about the problem” but believes there are more appropriate solutions to consider than just term limits or age requirements.
One solution is to ban members’ ability to trade stocks, which has been supported by Khanna and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), in particular. Bannon said this would allow more members who are “more interested in making money than legislating” to see they could make more money in the private sector as they get older and allow for more representative turnover.
Other methods he suggested were redistricting to make more competitive districts and a ban on large-money contributions to campaigns.
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Some Republicans are brushing off any long-term effects of the news of Kay Granger’s mental faculties. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) said in a post he was “more concerned about the congressmen who have dementia and are still voting.”
“I don’t think this will drive any significant policy change,” one House Republican said. “It’s more about holding others and ourselves accountable.”
Cami Mondeaux and Hailey Bullis contributed to this report.