Congresswoman found in nursing home suffering from dementia

Congresswoman found in nursing home suffering from dementia

A case which rekindles the debate on the age of political leaders in the United States. An 81-year-old member of the House of Representatives had been absent from Congress for months. During this time, the elected Republican was in a retirement home for people suffering from dementia, while receiving her elected salary.

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With our correspondent in Washington, Loubna Anaki

For 27 years, Kay Granger represented the State of Texas in Congress. She is even the first woman to chair the parliamentary committee responsible for the government budget. But, for six months, the elected Republican has not participated in any vote in the House of Representatives. That’s more than 300 missed votes…

An unjustified absence which pushed journalists in his district to ask questions. When they did a little digging, they discovered that Kay Granger had been placed in a nursing home for people suffering from dementia. And during all these months, she received almost 90 thousand dollars in salary.

These revelations, which fall only a few months after the debate on the intellectual capacities of Joe Biden and his withdrawal from the presidential election, rekindle the debate on the age of elected officials.

Some Democrats and Republicans are calling for an age limit. A proposal supported by Elon Musk who even suggests the use of cognitive tests.

For her part, after her state of health was made public, Kay Ranger announced that she would officially retire at the end of her mandate on January 3.

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