What’s New
A report of “lacking” Consultant Kay Granger, a Texas Republican, being present in a dementia care facility on Friday has sparked backlash throughout social media concerning the age of Congress members.
Newsweek has reached out to Granger’s workplace through electronic mail for remark.
Why It Issues
Over the past decade or so, the federal authorities has earned a repute as being one thing of a gerontocracy, with energy concentrated amongst a bunch of elders considerably older than nearly all of the grownup inhabitants. Selections from getting old officeholders of each events to carry onto their posts has drawn scrutiny in recent times and raised questions on whether or not they have the psychological acuity or recent concepts wanted to steer the nation.
In recent times, notable high-profile politicians together with President Joe Biden (81), President-elect Donald Trump (78) and Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (82) have drawn criticism based mostly on their ages and a number of public medical episodes. Previous to Biden’s dropping out of the 2024 race and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris (then-59), most People expressed disillusionment in the direction of the older ages of each him and Trump.
What to Know
Based on Granger’s roll name vote web page, the 81-year-old congresswoman’s final vote was on July 24 when she voted “no” to the “Modification within the Home H.Amdt. 1157 (Miller) to H.R. 8998: To cut back the wage of Ya-Wei (Jake) Li, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Pesticide Applications, to $1.”
Since then, Granger has not solid any votes in Washington and her extended absence sparked concern amongst constituents in Texas’ twelfth Congressional District.
After a number of makes an attempt had been made by the Dallas Specific to find Granger, a reporter on the newspaper acquired a tip that she had been staying at a reminiscence care facility after being discovered misplaced and confused whereas wandering by way of her neighborhood.
Based on the newspaper, Dallas Specific reporters who visited the ability to verify Granger’s residency and inquire about how she deliberate to vote on the latest spending invoice weren’t permitted to talk with the congresswoman.
Staff, nevertheless, confirmed that Granger was dwelling within the facility with assistant govt director of the ability, Taylor Manziel, acknowledging that “that is her house,” the Dallas Specific reported.
In the meantime, this comes after Granger was publicly seen in late November on the unveiling of her portrait within the Home Appropriations Committee chambers in Washington.
Granger, who was elected to the Home in 1997, is the primary Republican lady elected to the U.S. Home of Representatives from Texas and have become the primary lady from her social gathering to chair the appropriations committee.
She was additionally the fourth Texan in historical past to chair the committee, following Joseph Sayers.
Julia Nikhinson / AFP/Getty Photographs
What Folks Are Saying
In response to Granger being discovered on the reminiscence care facility, some took to X, previously Twitter, to specific their issues over the age of Congress members.
Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late Republican Arizona Senator John McCain wrote on X, “Do not inform me political media is not a damaged hellscape when a well-known congresswoman can simply go lacking for six months after which present up in a dementia care facility. Like a congresswoman not exhibiting up for six months wasn’t seen or price writing about?!”
MSNBC Information columnist Eric Michael Garcia wrote on X, “Kay Granger, David Scott, Thad Cochran and Dianne Feinstein reveal a giant downside that Congress rewards seniority to construct energy. That incentivizes individuals to remain gone their expiry date.”
Collin Rugg, co-owner of conservative information web site Trending Politics, wrote on X, “Senator Mitch McConnell, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and now Rep. Kay Granger are taking falls and shedding their cognitive talents as they refuse to go away workplace. McConnell: Busted his face open and harm his wrist after a fall. Pelosi: Broke her hip requiring emergency surgical procedure after falling down stairs. Granger: Was present in a senior care facility after individuals began noticing that she was ‘lacking,’ in line with the Dallas Specific. We deserve higher.”
CNN senior reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere wrote on X whereas sharing a hyperlink to a neighborhood information web site, “Says rather a lot about numerous issues that this headline exists: ‘Lacking’ GOP Congresswoman Not Seen For Six Months Lastly Discovered Residing at Dementia Care Dwelling.”
Tarrant County Republican Chairman Bo French instructed the Dallas Specific the dearth of illustration throughout a vital voting interval in Congress was “troubling to say the least.”
“At a time when terribly necessary votes are taking place, together with debt ceiling, catastrophe reduction, farm payments and border points, Kay Granger is nowhere to be discovered. The margin in Congress is razor skinny and the dearth of a Republican vote representing CD-12 disenfranchises 2 million individuals. We deserve higher,” French stated.
Jacob Neiheisel, an affiliate political science professor on the College of Buffalo, instructed Newsweek earlier this month that the age situation in Congress will depend on perspective—and that is subjective and never uniform throughout the political spectrum.
What Occurs Subsequent
Though the circumstances round Granger’s situation are unclear, she is anticipated to retire on the finish of the session as she introduced her choice in November 2023.
Based on the Dallas Specific, Granger and her workers will stay on the taxpayer’s payroll till January 3, 2025.
