Just as democracy means a system of government ruled by the dēmos, or the common people, gerontocracy refers to rule by the elderly. It was coined in the 19th century as a pejorative to describe the aged French parliament, but it can refer to any government whose leaders are of sufficiently advanced age.
While being long in the tooth does not automatically indicate diminished mental faculties, it's enough of a concern that many jobs—even those without the ability to deploy troops or launch nuclear weapons—have maximum age limits.
It's a concept on full display during the latter days of President Joe Biden's term in office. Last week, The Wall Street Journal detailed the tactics used by Biden's staff and inner circle "to adapt the White House around the needs of a diminished leader." Advisers acted as go-betweens, keeping the elderly Biden at arm's length from lawmakers and Cabinet officials.
"The system put Biden at an unusual remove from cabinet secretaries, the chairs of congressional committees and other high-ranking officials," the Journal authors wrote. "It also insulated him from the scrutiny of the American public."
But there is now another prominent example of a diminished elderly politician absent from the public sphere.
"Where Is Congresswoman Kay Granger?" asked an article by Carlos Turcios of The Dallas Express. Granger, a Republican representing portions of Fort Worth, is 81 years old and was first elected to Congress in 1996. She is also a no-show at her day job, having not voted on a single piece of legislation since July 24; CBS News further reports that "between April and June of this year, Granger missed 107 of 231 eligible votes, or about 46%." (The Dallas Express CEO Chris Putnam ran against Granger unsuccessfully in the district's 2020 Republican primary.)
Granger announced in November 2023 that she would not seek reelection after her current term. Turcios notes that Granger's district office is already packed up, and calls go straight to voicemail.
As it turns out, Turcios discovered, Granger "has been residing at a local memory care and assisted living home for some time after having been found wandering lost and confused in her former…neighborhood." Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein reported on his Substack that on July 9, Granger transferred away the deed to her home in that area.
Over the weekend, Granger's son confirmed to The Dallas Morning News that his mother was "having some dementia issues late in the year" and that while she was in an independent living facility, she was not in memory care.
In a statement, Granger acknowledged "navigating some unforeseen health challenges over the past year. However, since early September, my health challenges have progressed, making frequent travel to Washington both difficult and unpredictable." Last week, Granger did attend a ceremony at the Capitol in her honor, receiving an official portrait to commemorate her tenure as chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee. (She stepped down from the position in March.) The congresswoman's X account posted a picture of her at the ceremony.
Anyone who has dealt with an ailing elder can sympathize with both Granger and her family as they navigate an inevitable but no less painful chapter in one's life. But that doesn't make her immune from criticism, especially as she continues to draw a salary on the taxpayer's dime.
"Although I am not running for re-election," Granger said when announcing her impending retirement, "I plan to serve out the remainder of my term and work with our new Speaker and my colleagues to advance our conservative agenda and finish the job I was elected to do."
Indeed, even though Granger has not voted on legislation in five months, she is still a member of Congress drawing an annual salary of $174,000. Even though she was in D.C. on December 18, she did not participate in the vote two days later to pass a continuing resolution keeping the government open.
As one congressional watcher noted on social media, House rules dictate that "Every Member shall be present…unless excused or necessarily prevented, and shall vote on each question put." In the event of an unexcused absence, the U.S. Code states that House leadership "shall deduct from the monthly payments…of each Member or Delegate the amount of his salary for each day that he has been absent from the House."
"Decades ago, an absent Member was fined by the House unless he or she was granted a Leave of Absence," the House website notes, before adding, "that is no longer the case." It does allow, though, that "members may choose not to request a Leave of Absence if he/she believes it would draw unnecessary attention to his/her absence."
Sources told CBS News that Granger moved to the facility "around July," which is also when she both stopped showing up for votes and ceded ownership of her house. According to Legistorm, Granger paid her staff nearly $360,000 between July and September—a period in which she did not vote.
Granger did at least step down from her post atop the House Appropriations Committee, which drafts the bills that fund the federal government. Before she died in office at age 90, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D–Calif.) served for years as the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee even amid accusations of cognitive decline.
Still, it's a damning indictment of the current crop of elected officials that even amid debilitating health issues that prevent them from doing their jobs, some politicians would still rather hold onto power than give it up.
The post Kay Granger, Like Joe Biden, Is a Symptom of America's Gerontocracy appeared first on Reason.com.
