Former Texas Rep. Kay Granger dies at 83

Republican former Rep. Kay Granger of Texas has died, lawmakers announced Sunday. Granger, who served on Capitol Hill for 28 years and chaired the House Appropriations Committee, was 83. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced Granger’s death on X, calling her “a dear friend who will be greatly missed.” “Throughout her career, she broke barriers for women in public service. She was the first woman to serve as Mayor of Fort Worth, the first Republican woman elected to represent Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the first Republican woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee,” Johnson wrote. In December 2024, The Dallas Express reported that Granger, who had not cast a vote since July of that year and had announced in 2023 that she would not seek re-election, was residing in an assisted living facility. Her son later told The Dallas Morning News that she was experiencing “dementia issues.” Current and former members of Congress offered their condolences on social media Sunday night. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., called her an “Iron Lady,” adding on X, “I’m grateful to have called her a friend.” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Granger “lived a life of historic firsts.” “For nearly three decades, she championed North Texas, our Armed Forces, and a strong national defense,” Cruz wrote. “We are praying for her family and all who loved her.” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., who preceded Granger as Appropriations chair, said she was “deeply saddened,” calling it “an honor to serve alongside her.” “Throughout our years serving together on the Appropriations Committee, we worked through difficult challenges with mutual respect and honesty,” DeLauro said in a statement. “At every step of her career, she earned the respect of Members on both sides of the aisle through her steady leadership and deep belief in the importance of Congress fulfilling its constitutional responsibility to invest in the American people.”