About 30 members, from both parties and across the nation, stood solemnly on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives Monday evening to honor the late Rep. Kay Granger.
Her former colleagues recounted memories of the Fort Worth congresswoman and honored her service with a moment of silence. Granger died Aug. 2 after an aggressive battle with Alzheimer’s. She was 83.
“All of you knew her,” Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth, told his fellow House members. “She was a legend in this chamber. She was a legend in Fort Worth. She was a legend in Texas. She was a legend in America.”
Goldman succeeded Granger in representing Texas’ 12th Congressional District in 2024. He led the tribute. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth, joined in remarks as another Tarrant County lawmaker, Rep. Roger Williams, R-Willow Park, stood alongside them.
The moment marked the first time the House had been in session since Granger’s death and the first opportunity for her colleagues to remember her.
Goldman cited her list of firsts: first woman mayor of Fort Worth, first Republican woman from Texas elected to the House, first woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee subcommittee on defense and the first GOP woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee.
The group around Goldman nodded and applauded Granger’s record.
“She broke down barriers everywhere she went,” Goldman said. “When people said you can’t do that, she said, ‘Tell me why. I’m going to anyway.’”
In an interview, Veasey said he talked about Granger’s time as a teacher, a council member and mayor. He said he brought up her group of diverse friends.
“I specifically talked about her friends because it’s so unusual for anyone her age to have actual friends, of all races, that she dined and traveled with on a regular basis,” Veasey said.
The Fort Worth Democrat also noted that he and Granger never talked about partisan politics. Instead, they focused on their shared goal.
“Just how we could work hard to make Fort Worth a better place and city,” Veasey said. “And, we did that together. Fort Worth is a better city because that was how she did it for her entire tenure in Congress.”
Granger served from 1997 to 2025. Veasey, who is retiring, was first elected in 2012.
Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, was front and center at the tribute. He said he was Texas secretary of state when he first met Granger, then mayor of Fort Worth.
Even now, they have a shared connection, Cuellar said.
“I have her office now. I served with her in appropriations. Wonderful friend,” Cuellar said.
Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Irving, said she had a special bond with Granger as only the second Republican woman from Texas elected to Congress.
“Kay Granger was more than a mentor — she was a friend and strong ally,” Van Duyne said. “A true Texas trailblazer and an undeniable powerhouse in Washington, Kay led with strength, conviction and grace. Her impact will endure, and she will be deeply missed.”
Maria Recio is a freelance reporter based in Washington, D.C.
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