Now the Republicans have their own Joe Biden.

Texas Rep. Kay Granger has been living in an independent living facility for six months, her family confirmed after speculation about her absence from Washington. Reports of her health struggles, including signs of dementia, have fueled controversy over her decision not to retire earlier.

Key Details:

Granger, 81, has not cast a vote since July and stepped down as House Appropriations Committee Chair in March.

Her son confirmed she resides in an independent living facility, denying claims she's in memory care, despite acknowledging her "very rapid" cognitive decline.

Critics argue her absence from Congress has left her district underrepresented, while her family defends her decision to remain in her role until retirement.

Diving Deeper:

Rep. Kay Granger, the 81-year-old Republican from Texas, has spent the last six months in an independent living facility as she faces health challenges, including signs of dementia, her family revealed this weekend. Granger, who has represented Texas's 12th District since 1997, has not voted in the House since July, raising questions about her ability to fulfill her duties.

Her absence became public after The Dallas Express reported she was living in a memory care unit. However, her son, Brandon Granger, refuted the claims, stating she resides in a "nice condo" in the independent living section of the facility. He added that the decision to move was hers, made in anticipation of her retirement.

"She's not in memory care," Brandon Granger told the New York Post. "It's been a very rapid and difficult decline, but she's still enjoying her life."

Well that's the important thing, that she's enjoying her life. Her constituents obviously don't matter.

Granger's spokesperson, Valerie Nelson, confirmed the congresswoman has faced "unforeseen health challenges" that make frequent travel to Washington difficult. Critics, however, argue her prolonged absence left her constituents without representation during critical legislative debates, including a recent spending showdown.

The Dallas Express, run by Granger's former primary challenger Chris Putnam, faced scrutiny for breaking the story. Putnam denied any personal bias, stating, "The right thing for her to have done was quietly and gracefully resign."

Below, a DC reporter says that it was an open secret that she had advanced senility, and would wander through Congress asking people where she worked.

And that was when she was even bothering to be physically present in DC.

Meanwhile, Biden is also enjoying his own life, as the "president" who spends 40% of of his days on vacation and works 40% of his few working days has decided he deserves, get this, another vacation before he leaves office.

Joe's taking another vacation at taxpayer expense before he leaves office. He's loading up Air Force One and kicking off his new year in Rome, Italy! Let the grift begin.

The president allegedly sprung this three-day trip on his White House staff, codenamed "President Actual," at the last minute.

"President Actual" feels like a troll. He's not the actual president, of course.

They've ordered Air Force One to get gassed up before the Jan. 9 start and told the ambassador to vacate the Villa Taverna, because he's staying until Jan. 12.

Actually, we don't really know where Joe's staying, but we have that in common with Joe. He often doesn't know where he's going or where he is. Indeed, he routinely has no idea what day it is, what he's doing, what to say, and with whom he's saying it.

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Whether it's the ambassador's fifteenth-century home sitting on an estate with ancient wine grapes from the St. Silvester Monastery, a billionaire friend's villa, the cryptoporticus of the U.S. Mission in Rome, or at the St. Regis, it will be a total freebie. We know that much about Joe Biden. He pays for nothing. He even pimps his kid out to make him money. That $20 million advance for that book he doesn't even have to write will not be tapped for the mundanities of his life. Well, maybe Jill will hire Visiting Angels, but that's about it. Joe will enjoy the plunder...

Joe's had a blast in Italy before. At the G7 conference, Biden suffered from a little jet lag as he slept through Andrea Boccelli's rendition of "Nessun Dorma," which even my limited Duolingo skills can confirm means, Hey you, don't sleep through this song!

Pearls before swine who are senile and corrupt.