Kay Granger

Norvell Kay Granger (née Mullendore; born January 18, 1943)[1] is an American Republican politician from the U.S. state of Texas, representing its 12th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. A former teacher and businesswoman, she is the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the U.S. House. After serving on the zoning commission of Fort Worth, Texas, in 1991 she was elected as the city's first female mayor, serving two terms to 1995.

Kay Granger
Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee
Assumed office
January 3, 2019
Preceded byNita Lowey
Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference
In office
January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2009
LeaderJohn Boehner
Preceded byJack Kingston
Succeeded byCathy McMorris Rodgers
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 12th district
Assumed office
January 3, 1997
Preceded byPete Geren
41st Mayor of Fort Worth
In office
May 21, 1991 – December 19, 1995
Preceded byBob Bolen
Succeeded byJewell Woods (acting)
Personal details
Born
Norvell Kay Mullendore

(1943-01-18) January 18, 1943
Greenville, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Children3
EducationTexas Wesleyan University (BA)

Biography and career

Granger was born in Greenville, Texas, and grew up in Fort Worth. She attended local public schools and Eastern Hills High School.[2] She graduated from Texas Wesleyan University.

Granger, George W. Bush, and Sam Johnson

After Congressman Pete Geren announced he would retire in 1996, both the Democratic and Republican parties worked to recruit Granger to run for his seat.[3] Republicans were bullish on their chances of winning Texas' 12th congressional district. It had once been represented by Democratic Speaker of the House Jim Wright, but legislative redistricting after the 1990 census had added areas with more Republican residents.

Granger ran as a Republican. She won handily, taking 56 percent of the vote over Democrat Hugh Parmer, also a former Fort Worth mayor. She was reelected in 1998 and faced serious opposition only in 2000. In 2008, Granger defeated Democratic challenger Tracey Smith with 67 percent of the vote.

In 2006 Granger published a book, What's Right About America, Celebrating Our Nation's Values, reflecting on lessons from prominent figures of United States history.

That year, she was reelected to her sixth term in Congress. She was elected as Conference Vice Chair, the fourth-ranking position among House Republicans, in November 2006. She has previously served as Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations. She also sits on the United States House Committee on Appropriations's Subcommittee on Defense (the first woman to do so), and the Labor, Health, Human Services, and Education Subcommittee. She has also served as a House Deputy Whip.

On September 25, 2007, she publicly endorsed former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney in the primary race for the Republican Party presidential nomination.[4] She also took up the position of national co-chair of the campaign organization Women for Mitt, filling a vacancy left by the death of Jennifer Dunn.[5] In a statement to the press following her endorsement, she said that she had heard Romney speak and that "I agreed with everything he said, in the order he said it."

She is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Republican Institute[6] and Southwestern University. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

She is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship foundation.

Congressional committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Ideology and voting record
Kay Granger campaign sign in the Fort Worth Stockyards

She is a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee.[13] She is also a member of the Ripon Society, a moderate Republican group.[14][15] The Washington Post described her as socially centrist, but fiscally conservative.[16] Heritage Action, a conservative PAC, gave her a score of 59% conservative during the 115th Congress and a 57% lifetime score.[17] In 2017, the Americans for Democratic Action, a liberal PAC, gave her a 15% rating.[18] She has an 83% lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union.[19] In 2013, the National Journal, a non-partisan organization, gave Granger a composite political ideology score of 73% conservative and 27% liberal.[18] As of February 2020, she has voted with President Trump's position on legislative issues about 97% of the time.[20]

Granger had identified as pro-abortion rights.[21] She supported the Roe v. Wade decision.[22][23] She reversed her position in 2020; she said she is now anti-abortion and signed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to overturn Roe.[24][25][26][27] She described herself in 2007 on MSNBC as "a pro-choice Republican."[28][29] The Wall Street Journal reported that she "supports abortion rights in limited cases."[30] Granger's 1996 campaign was promoted by The WISH List, a pro-abortion rights PAC.[31][32][33] The WISH List also supported her 2008 campaign.[34] She received mixed ratings from groups that support legal abortion.[28] Granger supported embryonic stem-cell research and voted against banning "chemically induced abortions."[35][36][37][38] She previously voted to fund Planned Parenthood, but recently voted to defund the organization.[39] She introduced legislation banning federal funding for abortion with exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the woman.[40] She supports banning abortion after 20 weeks.[41] In 2013, she said abortion is not her top issue.[42] She declined to cosponsor a bill to ban abortion after six weeks.[43] In 2019, she signed a letter to President Trump urging him to "veto any appropriations bill that weakens current pro-life protections".[44] She was endorsed by Texas Alliance for Life, an anti-abortion movement PAC.[45] She was also endorsed by the Susan B. Anthony List for reelection.[46] Speaking about women in the GOP, Granger said her party has a problem with too few women in Congress.[47]

Granger has voted several times in favor of an amendment to the United States Constitution to make it a crime to physically desecrate the American flag. She supported the Federal Marriage Amendment to define marriage as only permitted between a man and a woman, and she also opposed same-sex couples being able to adopt.[48] She was one of four Republicans in the House who did not vote for or against repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, though she previously voted against other repeal proposals.[49][50] In 2017, she said that she had "no comment" in response to President Trump's decision to ban transgender troops from the military.[51] She did not vote for or against legislation opposing the ban of transgender troops.[50]

In June 2013, Granger was among the members of Congress who voted to pass an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The amendment would continue to restrict the Pentagon from entering into new contracts with Russia's state arms broker, Rosoboronexport.[52] In 2015, Rep. Granger opposed President Trump's candidacy saying, “He definitely should not be considered to speak for our nation as our President.”[53] However, in 2020, she endorsed Trump's reelection and she was endorsed by President Trump.[54]

Granger was part of a group of eight Republicans who spent July 4, 2018 meeting with Russian officials in advance of President Trump's summit with Vladimir Putin.

During her tenure, Granger has supported more than $50 million in earmarks to infrastructure projects in Fort Worth that benefited the Trinity River Vision Authority, an organization headed by her son.[55]

Personal life

Granger has three children and five grandchildren.[56] She is a member of The United Methodist Church.[56]

Honors
  • In August 2007, Kay Granger Elementary School, named in her honor, opened in far north Fort Worth in the Northwest Independent School District.
  • Kay Granger Park was named for her. It is a city park located next to Mullendore Elementary, named for her mother, which was opened several years earlier in North Richland Hills.
  • She was elected to the Texas Women's Hall of Fame and the Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame.
  • She received the National Federation of Independent Business’ Champion of Small Business Award; the Manufacturing Legislative Excellence Award from the National Association of Manufacturers; as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greater Fort Worth Home Builders Association.
  • In 1993, her high school recognized Granger as a distinguished alumnus.[2]

See also

References
  1. Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997, roll number: 1943_0008
  2. Kay Granger, USA Centers for Global Commercial & Investment Relations. Retrieved October 25, 2007. Archived July 17, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  3. Cottle, Michelle (January 24, 2014). "When Wendy Davis Was a Republican". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  4. "Mitt Romney's Free and Strong America PAC". Mittromney.com. November 9, 2009. Archived from the original on February 15, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2010.
  5. Granger endorses Romney and will co-chair Women for Mitt | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas-Fort Worth Politics | The Dallas Morning News Archived October 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  6. International Republican Institute web site, accessed July 16, 2010. Archived April 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Chairman Frelinghuysen Announces GOP Subcommittee Memberships for the 115th Congress | Committee on Appropriations, U.S. House of Representatives". appropriations.house.gov. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  8. "Our Members". U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  9. "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
  10. "Members". U.S. - Japan Caucus. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  11. "Members". House Baltic Caucus. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  12. "Members". Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  13. "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  14. "Advisory Board". The Ripon Society. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  15. "History". The Ripon Society. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  16. "Kay Granger (R-Tex.)". The Washington Post.
  17. America, Heritage Action For (April 20, 2019). "Heritage Action for America". Heritage Action For America. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  18. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved April 21, 2019.
  19. "ACU Ratings". ACU Ratings. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  20. Bycoffe, Aaron (January 30, 2017). "Tracking Congress In The Age Of Trump". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  21. Ethridge, Emily (2015). Powerful Women: The 25 Most Influential Women in Congress (PDF). eBook: CQ Roll Call. p. 17.
  22. "Election 2008: Who People in Texas Should Vote For". Esquire. October 16, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  23. Ford, Lynne E. (2008). Encyclopedia of Women and American Politics. New York City: Facts on File Inc. p. 216. ISBN 9780816054916.
  24. "20 Texas Congressional Members Call for Supreme Court Overrule of Roe v. Wade". The Texan. January 3, 2020. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  25. Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (January 2, 2020). "More Than 200 Republicans Urge Supreme Court to Weigh Overturning Roe v. Wade". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
  26. "Rep. Kay Granger and Challenger Chris Putnam Square Off at Republican Women's Forum". The Texan. February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  27. Tinsley, Anna (February 10, 2020). "Kay Granger has Trump's support. Here's why it might not be enough to win her primary". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
  28. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  29. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. September 25, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  30. "Kay Granger - Candidate for U.S. President, Republican Nomination - Election 2012". WSJ.com. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  31. "Republican Women Congressional Candidates | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org. Retrieved January 27, 2020.
  32. "AllPolitics - Congressional Races - Texas District 12". www.cnn.com. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  33. "AllPolitics/CQ - Freshmen of the 105th Congress". www.cnn.com. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  34. "Wish List: All Recipients | OpenSecrets". www.opensecrets.org. Retrieved March 2, 2020.
  35. Perks, Ashley (September 16, 2008). "The struggling, single mother of three who worked her way up in the House". TheHill. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  36. Malhi, Sabrina (September 11, 2018). "The stakes are sky-high for the pro-life cause in the upcoming midterms". TheHill. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  37. Levine, Samantha; Bureau, Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Washington (May 25, 2005). "House votes to expand stem cell research". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  38. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  39. "Chris Putnam Primary Bid Receives Big Endorsement, Attack Ads Purchased Targeting Rep. Kay Granger". The Texan. January 23, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  40. Granger, Kay (September 28, 2018). "H.R.6157 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2019". www.congress.gov. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  41. "Republican Women Cringe As Men Lead Abortion Fight". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  42. "Republican Women Cringe As Men Lead Abortion Fight". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
  43. "House panel considers banning abortions at six weeks". Dallas News. November 1, 2017. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  44. "Letter to the Hon. Donald J. Trump, President of the United States - Lawmakers Urge the President to Veto Any Appropriations Bill that Weakens Current Pro-Life Protections". Votesmart.org. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  45. "Texas Alliance for Life Releases First Round of Endorsements for Federal Offices". Kay Granger for Congress. December 19, 2019. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  46. "SBA List Candidate Fund Endorses Kay Granger for Congress in TX-12". Susan B. Anthony List. January 6, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  47. "Kay Granger, only GOP woman from Texas in Congress, keeps low profile but has plenty of influence". Dallas News. August 16, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  48. "Kay Granger on the Issues". www.ontheissues.org. Retrieved April 14, 2019.
  49. "H.R. 2965 (111th): Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of ... -- House Vote #638 -- Dec 15, 2010". GovTrack.us. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  50. "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  51. Livingston, Abby; Samuels, Alex; Essig, Chris (July 27, 2017). "Where do Texans in Congress stand on Trump's ban on transgender troops?". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  52. Bowser-Soder, Brenda (June 14, 2013). "House Agrees to Amendment to Restrict U.S. Contracts with Syrian Regime Weapons Supplier". Human Rights First. Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  53. "Texas Congresswoman to Trump: Have You No Decency?". Roll Call. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  54. "Trump endorses Kay Granger, says she's 'strong supporter' of his agenda". Dallas News. December 17, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  55. "Public projects, private interests". Washington Post. February 7, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  56. "About". Congresswoman Kay Granger. December 3, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
Political offices
Preceded by
Bob Bolen		 Mayor of Fort Worth
1991–1995		 Succeeded by
Jewell Woods
Acting
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Pete Geren		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Texas's 12th congressional district
1997–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Nita Lowey		 Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee
2019–present
Party political offices
Preceded by
Jack Kingston		 Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference
2007–2009		 Succeeded by
Cathy McMorris Rodgers
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Diana DeGette		 United States Representatives by seniority
46th		 Succeeded by
Ron Kind
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