U.S. lawmaker Kay Granger, who went missing for over six months, has been found in the memory care facility, Dallas Express reported.

Ms Granger, 81, was set to end a nearly 30-year career in the House in January. She has not visited her office for the past six months nor been on record voting for or against any matters in the House since July.

“We then received a tip from a Granger constituent who shared that the Congresswoman 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 Cultural District/West 7th neighbourhood,” the report said.

It added, “The Dallas Express team visited the facility to confirm whether Granger was residing there and to inquire about how she planned to vote on the spending bill. Upon arrival, two employees confirmed that Granger is indeed living at the facility.

“However, we were not permitted to conduct an interview regarding the current spending debate in the House of Representatives and how or if Ms Granger planned to vote.”

Local officials were furious to discover Ms Granger’s absence with a month remaining to complete her term and important votes still taking place in Washington on a daily basis. 

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, on Saturday, passed a short-term government funding bill minutes after the deadline to avert a government shutdown following two previous failed attempts.

Tarrant County GOP chair Bo French described Ms Granger’s absence as troubling, citing implications for her district.

Another Republican Committeeman in her district, Rolando Garcia, expressed utter disappointment in Ms Granger, tagging her absence as a “sad and humiliating way to end her political career.” 

Ms Granger has been serving as the U.S. representative for Texas’s 12th congressional district since 1997. She is a member of the Republican Party and was chair of the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations until 2024.