Kay's Biography

Since arriving in Congress in 1997, Congresswoman Kay Granger has created a record of leadership and results on the issues that matter to her district and her country.

Congresswoman Granger today is one of the most recognized leaders on national security and foreign policy.  She currently serves as the Chairwoman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations for the 112th Congress.  She also serves on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and on the Subcommittee of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.  With her three subcommittee assignments, Granger oversees 70 percent of all discretionary spending.  She also co-chairs the Anti-Terrorism Caucus and serves as a deputy whip.  During the 110th Congress, she served as Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference where she was spokesperson for the party.

Granger’s interest in national security began when she served as Mayor of Fort Worth, home to the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base and Lockheed Martin.  After 9-11, she became a leader in the fight against global terrorism.  She continues to serve as co-chair of the Iraqi Women's Caucus where she has worked to mentor Iraqi women who now either hold elected positions or are leaders in a democratic Iraq.

Granger has long believed that national security and foreign policy go hand in hand.  Through her roles on the board of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and as a commissioner for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Granger is part of an ongoing dialogue to improve the lives of millions in the developing world through efforts that center around global health, improving the lives of women, and teaching emerging democracies how to sustain newly-discovered freedoms.  She serves the National Endowment for Democracy as a member of the Congressional Advisory Committee. 

Congresswoman Granger received Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s first Global War on Terrorism Coin for her unwavering support of anti-terror efforts.  She has also been awarded the 2006 National Association of Community Health Centers Community Health Defender Award and the National Association of Manufacturers Award for her pro-growth, pro-manufacturing, pro-worker voting record.  She has been inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame and the Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame.

Granger owned and operated a successful insurance agency for over 20 years and is also a former high school teacher.

She is a member of the First United Methodist Church, and has three grown children and five grandchildren.

See Awards Received here