Enough of Matt Gaetz and Kay Granger. Can we finally get a functional Congress? | Opinion

This Christmas, I’ll keep it simple for Santa.

As much as I’d like a new iPhone or a warm island getaway far from Michigan, I’ll settle for one thing.

Wouldn’t it be great if Americans could be proud of their elected leaders? (OK, maybe that isn’t such a simple request.)

In the past week alone, we’ve heard reports of “missing” Texas Congresswoman Kay Granger, 81, a Republican, found living in a senior facility dealing with “dementia issues.”

And on Monday, a much-anticipated ethics report was released about former Florida GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz, 42, which confirmed he’s as off-putting as we all already knew.

Congress shouldn’t give us the heebie-jeebies, nor should it resemble a nursing home.

We’re a country more than 340 million strong. You’d think it wouldn’t be so hard to find 535 qualified, fully functioning individuals to represent us.

This month, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, 82, fell after lunch at the Capitol, sustaining injuries. And former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 84, had hip replacement surgery after a fall on a work trip abroad. (Despite giving up her leadership post, Pelosi was just reelected to another term – her 20th – last month.)

Perhaps as citizens of this country, we should more closely consider whom we choose to represent us.

Granger is missing in action. So much for being a ‘representative.’

I respect my elders and certainly don’t hold their age against them. Yet, age affects all of us differently. Just look at President-elect Donald Trump, who at 78 never seems to run out of energy.

That’s not the case for everyone that age.

At 82, President Joe Biden’s mental and physical decline (which he and his administration tried to hide) prevented him from fully serving the American people, and his shadow presidency is a shameful end to his long career in Washington.

The problem seems to be that once elected, our politicians have an extremely difficult time knowing when it’s time to call it quits.

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For instance, Granger, who has served her Dallas-area district since 1997, announced last year she wouldn’t seek reelection in 2024. She served as chair of the House Appropriations Committee, a coveted post, until she announced she’d be stepping down in March.

The rationale for that decision seems clear now.

Granger cast her last House vote in July, and her unexplained absence from Washington essentially means her constituents have been left without representation for months.

New reporting from a Dallas outlet highlights why Granger has been missing in action. She’s been dealing with dementia, according to her son, and living at a senior facility.

I feel for her and her family. But she should have been forthcoming about what she was dealing with – and she should have stepped down from Congress earlier this year to allow for someone else to step in and represent the district.

Now, her storied and groundbreaking career will be marred by a disgraceful exit.

Gaetz’s sudden departure now makes a whole lot of sense

Gaetz, the former congressman, may have relative youth on his side, but not much else.

After Trump made the shocking announcement last month that Gaetz would be his nominee for attorney general, Gaetz immediately resigned from Congress, much to the delight of pretty much everyone in that chamber.

Gaetz later withdrew his name from the Cabinet position, after it became clear he couldn’t get the support necessary from fellow Republicans in the Senate.

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The impending release of a House ethics report always seemed at the heart of Gaetz’s decision to step down so suddenly. After he resigned, the idea was the House Ethics Committee would refrain from releasing the report – at least, that’s what Gaetz had hoped.

Yet, the bipartisan committee changed its mind and decided to release the findings now.

The committee found “substantial evidence” that Gaetz participated in a range of sleazy activities, including “prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use.”

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Gaetz had asked a judge to block the report’s release, claiming it was an “unprecedented overreach.” A previous Justice Department investigation did not lead to any charges.

The report only confirms what’s been obvious to anyone following Gaetz’s political career – he’s untrustworthy and obnoxious. And his pompous behavior made him no friends, even among Republicans.

Between Granger’s disappearing act and Gaetz’s cringeworthy behavior, surely our country deserves better.

Let’s give ourselves a collective Christmas present this year by choosing our elected officials with more care.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gaetz ethics report confirms he’s sleazy, surprising no one | Opinion