Kay Granger
Encyclopedia
Kay Granger a Republican
politician from the U.S. state
of Texas
, currently represents the 12th congressional district
(map) in the U.S. House of Representatives, the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the House.
, and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, where she attended Eastern Hills High School
, which recognized her as Distinguished Eastern Hills High School Graduate in 1993. She graduated from Texas Wesleyan University
. She was elected to the Fort Worth
city council in 1989 and was elected Mayor in 1991. Her tenure as mayor saw a drop in violent crime.
After the retirement of Congressman Pete Geren
in 1996, both the Democratic
and Republican parties worked to recruit Granger. Republicans were particularly bullish on their chances of winning the 12th. It had once been represented by Democratic Speaker of the House
Jim Wright
, but had been made significantly more affluent and Republican after the 1990 census. Granger made the decision to run as a Republican, much to the dismay of local GOP
activists, who criticized Granger as being too liberal. She was elected by a wide margin, taking 56 percent of the vote over the Democrat Hugh Parmer
, also a former Fort Worth mayor. She was handily reelected in 1998 and has only faced serious opposition once -- in 2000. In 2008, Granger defeated Democratic challenger Tracey Smith with 67 percent of the vote.
In 2006, Granger was reelected to serve her sixth term in Congress. She was also elected Conference Vice Chair
, the fourth-ranking position among House Republicans, in November 2006. She is currently Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommitee 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 served as a House Deputy Whip also while in Congress.
Granger is the author of the book, What's Right About America, Celebrating Our Nation's Values.
In August 2007, Kay Granger Elementary School opened in far north Fort Worth in the Northwest Independent School District
. A school named for Granger's mother - Mullendore Elementary - was opened several years earlier in North Richland Hills, Texas
. The adjacent Kay Granger Park is maintained by the city.
On September 25, 2007, she publicly endorsed former Massachusetts
governor Mitt Romney
in the primary race for the Republican Party presidential nomination. 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
. 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
. She is also a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
.
In 2003, Granger was given a 10 percent rating by NARAL and an 84 percent rating by the Christian Coalition of America.
Granger has also 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 also supports the Federal Marriage Amendment
.
She was easily renominated in the March 2, 2010, Republican primary, having polled 70 percent of the ballots over intraparty rivals Mike Brasovan and Matthew E. Kelly.
Interest Group Ratings:
In many of the ratings of interest groups that are there, Rep. Granger has the larger percentage in typically conservative groups. For example, in the interest groups of Concerned Women for America and the Christian Coalition of America her ratings were higher. In contrast, groups such as the School Nutrition Association and the Peace Action had much lower support ratings from the Representative.
Recent Votes:
For representative Granger her recent votes are as follows:
-Nov. 18th, 2011 In a proposed Balanced Budget Amendment (and her most recent vote), she voted for the amendment.
-Nov. 16th, 2011 In the National Right to Carry Act she also voted in favor of the act.
-Nov. 3rd, 2011 In the Public Disclosure of Bonuses and Golden Parachute bill, she voted against it.
In the house overall, the November 18th bill failed in the house while both the bills on November 16th and 3rd were both approved.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician from the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, currently represents the 12th congressional district
Texas's 12th congressional district
Texas District 12 of the United States House of Representatives is a Congressional district that serves the western half of Tarrant County as well as all of Parker and Wise counties in the state of Texas. The current Representative from District 12 is Kay Granger.-List of representatives:-Election...
(map) in the U.S. House of Representatives, the first Republican woman to represent Texas in the House.
Biography and career
Granger was born in Greenville, TexasGreenville, Texas
Greenville is the county seat, and the largest city, of Hunt County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,557....
, and grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, where she attended Eastern Hills High School
Eastern Hills High School
Eastern Hills High School is a four-year public high school in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, educating students in grades 9-12, as part of the Fort Worth Independent School District. In an historical footnote, the band from the school played "Hail to the Chief" during President JFK's visit to...
, which recognized her as Distinguished Eastern Hills High School Graduate in 1993. She graduated from Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University
Texas Wesleyan University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university founded by the United Methodist Church in 1890. The main campus is located in the Polytechnic Heights Neighborhood of Fort Worth, Texas, with branch campuses in Burleson and downtown Fort Worth.-History:Texas Wesleyan...
. She was elected to the Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
city council in 1989 and was elected Mayor in 1991. Her tenure as mayor saw a drop in violent crime.
After the retirement of Congressman Pete Geren
Pete Geren
Preston M. "Pete" Geren, III served as the 20th United States Secretary of the Army from July 16, 2007 to September 16, 2009...
in 1996, both the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and Republican parties worked to recruit Granger. Republicans were particularly bullish on their chances of winning the 12th. It had once been represented by Democratic Speaker of the House
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Jim Wright
Jim Wright
James Claude Wright, Jr. , usually known as Jim Wright, is a former Democratic U.S. Congressman from Texas who served 34 years in the U.S. House of Representatives and was the Speaker of the House from 1987 to 1989.-Early life:...
, but had been made significantly more affluent and Republican after the 1990 census. Granger made the decision to run as a Republican, much to the dismay of local GOP
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
activists, who criticized Granger as being too liberal. She was elected by a wide margin, taking 56 percent of the vote over the Democrat Hugh Parmer
Hugh Parmer
Hugh Q. Parmer is an attorney and Democratic politician in Fort Worth, Texas. He served in both houses of the Texas State Legislature, on the Fort Worth City Council, and as mayor of Fort Worth. In 1990, he was his party's unsuccessful nominee for the U.S...
, also a former Fort Worth mayor. She was handily reelected in 1998 and has only faced serious opposition once -- in 2000. In 2008, Granger defeated Democratic challenger Tracey Smith with 67 percent of the vote.
In 2006, Granger was reelected to serve her sixth term in Congress. She was also elected Conference Vice Chair
Republican Conference Vice-Chairman of the United States House of Representatives
The Vice-Chair of the Republican Conference in the United States House of Representatives is a leadership position that is next in rank after the House Republican Conference Chairman. Like the chair, the vice-chair is elected by a vote of all Republican House members before each Congress...
, the fourth-ranking position among House Republicans, in November 2006. She is currently Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommitee on State-Foreign Operations. She also sits on the United States House Committee on Appropriations
United States House Committee on Appropriations
The Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States...
's Subcommittee on Defense
United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense
The House Subcommittee on Defense is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Appropriations.-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:* Official page...
(the first woman to do so), and the Labor, Health, Human Services, and Education Subcommittee. She has served as a House Deputy Whip also while in Congress.
Granger is the author of the book, What's Right About America, Celebrating Our Nation's Values.
In August 2007, Kay Granger Elementary School opened in far north Fort Worth in the Northwest Independent School District
Northwest Independent School District
Northwest Independent School District is a public school district based in far north Fort Worth, Texas . It is named for its location in northwest Tarrant County, though it also serves portions of Denton County and Wise County....
. A school named for Granger's mother - Mullendore Elementary - was opened several years earlier in North Richland Hills, Texas
North Richland Hills, Texas
North Richland Hills is a city in Tarrant County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 63,343 at the 2010 census, making it the fourth largest city in Tarrant County. In 2006, North Richland Hills was selected as one of the "Top 100 Best Places to live in America"...
. The adjacent Kay Granger Park is maintained by the city.
On September 25, 2007, she publicly endorsed former Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
governor Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
in the primary race for the Republican Party presidential nomination. 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
Jennifer Dunn
Jennifer Blackburn Dunn was a prominent Republican member of the United States House of Representatives 1993–2005, representing .-Early life:...
. 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
International Republican Institute
Founded in 1983, the International Republican Institute is an organization, funded by the United States government, that conducts international political programs, sometimes labeled 'democratization programs'....
. She is also a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Congressional committee assignments
- Committee on AppropriationsUnited States House Committee on AppropriationsThe Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States...
- Subcommittee on DefenseUnited States House Appropriations Subcommittee on DefenseThe House Subcommittee on Defense is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Appropriations.-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:* Official page...
- Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related ProgramsUnited States House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related ProgramsThe House Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs is a standing subcommittee within the House Appropriations Committee. Prior to 2008, it was known as the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs....
(Chairwoman) - Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Defense
Caucus memberships
- Anti-Terrorism Caucus (Co-Chair)
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
- Iraqi Women's Caucus (Co-Chair)
- Sportsmen's Caucus
- Congressional Arts Caucus
Ideology
Her own website posts an article from "Conservative Quarterly" that calls her "a dependable vote for the leadership on most issues." She is also a member of the conservative Republican Study CommitteeRepublican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
.
In 2003, Granger was given a 10 percent rating by NARAL and an 84 percent rating by the Christian Coalition of America.
Granger has also voted several times in favor of an amendment to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
to make it a crime to physically desecrate the American flag. She also supports the Federal Marriage Amendment
Federal Marriage Amendment
The Federal Marriage Amendment H.J. Res. 56 was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution which would have limited marriage in the United States to unions of one man and one woman...
.
She was easily renominated in the March 2, 2010, Republican primary, having polled 70 percent of the ballots over intraparty rivals Mike Brasovan and Matthew E. Kelly.
Interest Group Ratings:
In many of the ratings of interest groups that are there, Rep. Granger has the larger percentage in typically conservative groups. For example, in the interest groups of Concerned Women for America and the Christian Coalition of America her ratings were higher. In contrast, groups such as the School Nutrition Association and the Peace Action had much lower support ratings from the Representative.
Recent Votes:
For representative Granger her recent votes are as follows:
-Nov. 18th, 2011 In a proposed Balanced Budget Amendment (and her most recent vote), she voted for the amendment.
-Nov. 16th, 2011 In the National Right to Carry Act she also voted in favor of the act.
-Nov. 3rd, 2011 In the Public Disclosure of Bonuses and Golden Parachute bill, she voted against it.
In the house overall, the November 18th bill failed in the house while both the bills on November 16th and 3rd were both approved.
External links
- U.S. Congresswoman Kay Granger official U.S. House site
- Kay Granger for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...