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A report about “missing” Rep. Kay Granger, a Texas Republican, who was found Friday at a dementia care facility has sparked backlash on social media over the age of members of Congress.

Newsweek has emailed Granger’s office seeking comment.

Why it matters

Over the last decade, the federal government has acquired a reputation as a kind of gerontocracy, with power concentrated in a group of elders who are significantly older than the majority of the adult population. The decision by senior officials in both parties to remain in office has drawn scrutiny in recent years, raising questions about whether they have the intellectual acumen or fresh ideas to lead the country.

In recent years, notable senior politicians, including President Joe Biden, 81, President-elect Donald Trump, 78, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 82, have drawn criticism for their age and multiple public medical episodes. Before Biden dropped out of the 2024 campaign and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, then 59, most Americans expressed disillusionment with the older ages of both him and Trump.

What you should know

According to Granger’s roll call voting page, the 81-year-old congresswoman’s last vote was on July 24, when she voted “no” on “House Amendment H.Amdt. 1157 (Miller) to H.R. 8998: To reduce the salary” voted by Ya-Wei (Jake) Li, deputy assistant administrator for pesticide programs, to $1.”

Granger has not cast a vote in Washington since then, and her extended absence sparked concern among voters in Texas’ 12th Congressional District.

After several attempts, the Dallas Express In order to locate Granger, a newspaper reporter received a tip that she had been staying at a memory care facility after she was found lost and confused while walking through her neighborhood.

According to the newspaper Dallas Express Reporters who visited the facility to confirm Granger’s residency and inquire about how she planned to vote on the latest budget proposal were not allowed to speak with the congresswoman.

However, staff confirmed that Granger lived at the facility with the facility’s assistant manager, Taylor Manziel, and admitted that “this is her home,” according to the staff member Dallas Express reported.

This comes after Granger was seen publicly at the unveiling of her portrait in the House Budget Committee meeting room in Washington in late November.

Granger, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1997, is the first Republican woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas and was the first woman from her party to chair the Appropriations Committee.

She was also the fourth Texan in history to chair the committee, following Joseph Sayers.

What people say

In response to Granger being found at the memory care facility, some took to X, formerly Twitter, to express concern about the members of Congress’ age.

Meghan McCain, the daughter of the late Arizona Republican Senator John McCain, wrote on X: “Don’t tell me the political media isn’t a broken hellscape when a well-known congresswoman just goes missing for six months and then shows up at a dementia facility. As if a congresswoman who didn’t show up for six months wasn’t noticed or “worth writing about?”

MSNBC News columnist Eric Michael Garcia wrote on

Collin Rugg, co-owner of the conservative news site Trending Politics, wrote: She broke her hip and had to have surgery after falling down the stairs. She was found at a senior care facility after people noticed she was “missing,” according to the Dallas Express.

CNN chief reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere wrote down

Tarrant County Republican Chairman Bo French told that Dallas Express The lack of representation during a crucial voting period in Congress is “troubling to say the least.”

“At a time of extraordinarily important votes, including debt ceiling, disaster relief, farm bills and border issues, Kay Granger is nowhere to be found. The margin in Congress is razor thin and there is not a Republican voice representing CD-12.” “We deserve better,” French said.

Jacob Neiheisel, associate professor of political science at the University at Buffalo, told Newsweek Earlier this month, he said the age issue in Congress depends on perspective — and that perspective is subjective and not consistent across the political spectrum.

What happens next

Although the circumstances of Granger’s condition are unclear, she is expected to retire at the end of the session as she announces her decision in November 2023.

According to the Dallas ExpressGranger and her employees will remain on the taxpayer’s payroll until January 3, 2025.