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U.S. Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth speaks during an 2023 interview with The Associated Press.<\/p>\n
Manuel Balce Ceneta\/ASSOCIATED PRESS<\/p>\n
Kay Granger built a nearly four-decade political career on a succession of firsts, rising from Fort Worth\u2019s first female mayor to the first Republican woman to lead the powerful House Appropriations Committee.<\/p>\n
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The former congresswoman, who died Sunday at 83, also became a leading advocate for defense spending and used her influence during her nearly three decades in Washington to secure federal funding for Fort Worth and other North Texas projects.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what to know about her career and legacy<\/a>:<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Trail-blazing record<\/p>\n When Granger won her seat in 1996, she became the first Republican woman sent to the U.S. House from Texas. Before then, she served as the first female Fort Worth mayor from 1991 to 1995.<\/p>\n Throughout her tenure in Congress, she served on key committees and was the first Republican woman to sit on the Defense Appropriations subcommittee, which she later chaired.<\/p>\n These accomplishments helped earn her induction into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame<\/a> in 1998.<\/p>\n She was selected as the ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee in 2019, and became chair of the committee in 2023<\/a> when Republicans retook control of the House. She was the first Republican woman to hold the position.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In that role, she once again made history as one member of an all-female group that controls government spending in the House and Senate.<\/p>\n “We have all worked on important policy issues ranging from defense and national security to transportation to education – all of these issues are important to women, and they will continue to be priorities for us,” Granger said then to The New York Times<\/a>. “We’ll have our work cut out for us over the next two years because my constituents are demanding we find reasonable, sensible and responsible ways to get control of runaway spending in Washington.”<\/p>\n Defense program supporter<\/p>\n Granger supported defense funding throughout her time in office. This was in part because of the impact it had on her district, which is home to thousands of employees working for Lockheed Martin, maker of the F-35 warplane, and Bell Textron, a key helicopter supplier.<\/p>\n “There have been reports that House Republicans support cutting our national defense,” Granger said in a statement during the January 2023 speaker elections. “Let me be clear – this House Republican does not support that position.”<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Funding for major Fort Worth projects<\/p>\n On top of supporting defense programs that benefit her district, she supported numerous local projects. One prominent example is the Trinity River Vision project that enhances flood protections and is expected to generate billions in economic activity and new jobs.<\/p>\n After decades of delays, Fort Worth received $403 million in 2022<\/a> to complete the project. The funds were secured through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Joe Biden in 2021. Granger voted against the legislation due to other projects she said muddied the bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n She also was instrumental in getting a Navy ship – a fast, agile high-tech combat ship designed for “near-shore” action – named the USS Fort Worth<\/a>.<\/p>\n Turning more conservative<\/p>\n Over the years, Granger shifted from her moderate Republican profile as primary challengers pushed her farther to the right.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In a 2007 interview with\u00a0MSNBC<\/a>, Granger referred to herself as a “pro-choice Republican.” She later changed that position. Toward the end of her career, she had an A rating from Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America\u00a0scorecard<\/a>, and supported some anti-abortion proposals.<\/p>\n In 2020, she ran against a primary opponent<\/a> who challenged her history on the issue. That year ,Granger received an endorsement from the National Right to Life Committee and from President Donald Trump, who said she was 100% pro-life<\/a>.<\/p>\n Retirement in 2023<\/p>\n Granger publicly announced in November 2023 that she would not seek reelection for a 15th term in Congress.<\/p>\n Her decision came as House GOP rules set a three-term limit for top committee positions.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n She’d already served two terms as the senior Republican on House Appropriations when Democrats controlled the House, so absent a waiver, she would have been forced to give up the gavel in the following session.<\/p>\n She moved closer to retirement by stepping down as\u00a0House Appropriations chair<\/a>.\u00a0She said at the time she wanted to give her replacement a chance to work on spending bills.<\/p>\n Health issues<\/p>\n Late in her tenure in Congress, a family member confirmed she had experienced\u00a0some “dementia issues.”<\/a><\/p>\n