Two weeks before the 119th U.S. Congress began, a story began to circulate online that U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, a Republican from Texas who had missed votes since July 2024, had been "found" in a dementia care facility. For example, the conservative X account Libs of TikTok posted the rumor on Dec. 21, 2024 ( archived ):

Rep. Kay Granger has not cast a vote in Congress since July and stepped down from the powerful House Appropriations Committee in March.

In a statement to WFAA, the 81-year-old said she has experienced "unforeseen health challenges" this year. She's missed 126 roll call votes since July 24.

Texas Representative Kay Granger, a long-serving Republican and influential figure in Congress, is facing questions about her ability to serve effectively amid allegations that she has been living in a memory care

From South Carolina, Brandon Granger, 52, told The Dallas Morning News Sunday morning, “It’s been a hard year,” adding it has been a surprise how quickly

The political beltway over the weekend was upended by a bombshell report that Texas Rep. Kay Granger had been absent from the public eye for nearly six months, only to be discovered at an independent living facility.

U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, 81, is at a Fort Worth senior living facility and "having some dementia issues," her son says.

Longtime Republican U.S. Rep. Kay Granger of Texas is having “unforeseen health challenges” that have worsened in the final months of her more than two decades in Congress, a statement from her office said Monday.

Granger's disappearance is especially significant given the tiny majority Republicans hold in the House — and the massive votes that are taking place, including the government spending bill — in the waning days of her tenure.

Here’s everything you need to know about Kay Granger, the embattled Texas Republican alleged to be living in a retirement home.