Republican congresswoman Kay Granger has released her first public statement after she was found to be living in a senior care facility while still raking in her $174,000 salary.

Kay Granger, 81, has been living in the $4,000-a-month nursing home for the past six months after found wandering lost and confused through her neighborhood, according to an investigation by the Dallas Express.

The Texas representative, who hasn't cast a vote in six months, was set to wind up a nearly 30-year career in the House in January but has now ignited fury over elderly politicians holding onto power and has sparked debate over America's aging political class. 

In a statement released Sunday, Granger said: 'I am deeply grateful for the outpouring of care and concern over the past several days.'

She did not address her current residence but admitted to 'health challenges' over the past year, while serving in Congress on a $174,000 salary. 

'As many of my family, friends, and colleagues have known, I have been navigating some unforeseen health challenges over the past year,' she wrote. 

'However, since early September, my health challenges have progressed, making frequent travel to Washington both difficult and unpredictable.' 

She pointed to her attendance in Washington in November - during which her staff tweeted a photo of her staring at her Congressional portrait - to say thank you to her staff and 'oversee the closure of my Washington office'. 

'Thank you for your continued prayers and support that you have extended to me,' she finished.

According to Legistorm, Granger has not only continued to take a six-figure Congressional salary, she has also paid her staff over $1 million in the past year.

Brandon Granger, one of the Congresswoman's three children, also spoke out about his mother's condition in an interview Sunday. 

He told the Dallas Morning News that, while the reports of her living at Tradition Senior Living in Fort Worth are true, she is not in the residence's 'memory care' facility. 

'There's nothing wrong with someone wanting to live in a community with other folks their age,' he said. 

'She's in a building with a lot of other folks her age that are super active that she really loves. She has exercise classes, she gets to be around people all the time, it's wonderful for her for this point in life.'

However, the 52-year-old Granger admitted that his mother - the first female mayor of Fort Worth and the first Republican woman elected to Congress - has had 'a hard year' and is surprised by how her condition has degenerated.

The last time constituents could recall Granger voting on any bill put before the House was in July.  

Carlos Turcios, a reporter for a local outlet, started to do some research by contacting her offices which never once responded to calls, going directly to voicemail. 

Granger's constituency office was also a complete ghost town upon a visit, with no signs of anyone working there. 

Eventually, one of Granger's constituents suggested to the Dallas Express that the Congresswoman was living in an assisted living facility.

She was reportedly living at a care home that specializes in memory loss after she'd been 'found wandering, lost and confused' in her district. 

A visit to the Tradition-Clearfork in Fort Worth resulted in two employees confirming that Granger lives there. 

'This is her home,' said Taylor Manziel, the Tradition-Clearfork's Assistant Executive Director. 

With a month remaining in her term and important votes still taking place in Washington daily, local officials are furious to discover her absence. 

'The lack of representation for CD-12 is troubling to say the least,' said Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French. 

'At a time when extraordinarily important votes are happening, including debt ceiling, disaster relief, farm bills and border issues, Kay Granger is nowhere to be found. 

'The margin in Congress is razor thin and the lack of a Republican vote representing CD-12 disenfranchises 2 million people. We deserve better.'

'The fact that Kay Granger is unable to leave her nursing home to participate in the most important congressional vote of the year suggests she was already in visible decline when she ran for re-election in 2022,' said Rolando Garcia, a Republican Committeeman in the district. 

'A sad and humiliating way to end her political career. Sad that nobody cared enough to “take away the keys” before she reached this moment and a sad commentary on the congressional gerontocracy.'

The Congresswoman and her staff presumably continue to take in their taxpayer-funded salaries. 

The space in which she's been living for the past half year charges over $4,000-per-month in rent, according to 360 West. 

Amenities include a 24-hour concierge, lounges, card rooms, a movie theater, an indoor pool, and group exercise classes. 

One resident questioned by Craig Goldman, the fellow Republican elected to replace Granger, isn't being sworn in early. Goldman has yet to comment.

In the Senate, New Jersey Democrat Andy Kim was sworn in one month early to replace the interim substitute for disgraced Bob Menendez. 

Until 2024, Granger was the Republican chairwoman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee. 

She said in November 2023 that she will not seek reelection in 2024 after nearly three decades in Congress.

Her district, which includes Fort Worth, is heavily Republican, as displayed by Goldman's election.

'It´s time for the next generation to step up and take the mantle and be a strong and fierce representative for the people,' Granger said in a statement.

Granger's district includes a Lockheed Martin plant that builds the F-35 fighter jet, and over the years, she has been a key force in securing more military funding.