Dem Rep Frederica Wilson, 83, absent from Congress after missing 43 straight votes

WASHINGTON, DC: Another lawmaker on Capitol Hill has quietly vanished from the voting board.

Frederica Wilson, an 83-year-old Florida Democrat known for her colorful hats and passionate speeches, has not cast a vote in the House since April 17, according to congressional reporter Jamie Dupree of the Regular Order newsletter.

Dupree noted on Bluesky that Wilson missed all 10 House votes that day, bringing her total streak of missed votes to 43 consecutive absences.

Frederica Wilson’s old photos spark questions online

Dupree pointed to recent activity on Wilson’s social media accounts that didn’t quite add up. “Wilson’s X account this week sent out photos of a Service Academy Day, but pictures from the same event were posted last October,” Dupree wrote

The post on the congresswoman’s X account read, “I was proud to host a Service Academy Day at FIU, bringing together representatives to share guidance with the next generation.”

The wording made it appear the event had just happened, or at least happened recently. However, the same photos had already surfaced roughly eight months earlier.

So far, there has been no public explanation for Wilson’s prolonged absence from House votes.

She’s not alone.

Tom Kean Jr, a New Jersey Republican, has also been absent from Capitol Hill for an extended period. Kean has reportedly been missing since March. His office later released a statement saying the congressman was dealing with an unspecified “personal medical issue.” He has not yet returned to the House.

Congress age concerns grow after Frederica Wilson absence

Wilson’s disappearance is reviving a conversation in Washington about whether some aging lawmakers are staying in office far longer than voters can comfortably support.

The issue came to the forefront in 2024 after former Republican congresswoman Kay Granger reportedly missed roughly six months of major House votes while living in a retirement community and allegedly showing possible signs of dementia.

According to The Dallas Express, which investigated the situation, Granger was living “full-time in a memory care unit and was moved there after she was found wandering her neighborhood.”

The outlet reported that the situation only came to light after a reporter discovered calls to Granger’s office were going straight to voicemail and her district office appeared inactive.

The episode triggered bipartisan backlash. Rep Thomas Massie said he was “more concerned about the congressmen who have dementia and are still voting.”

Meanwhile, former Rep Tony Gonzales argued on CBS’s 'Face the Nation' that lawmakers unable to perform their duties should step aside.

“Congress should do its job, and if you can’t do your job, maybe you shouldn’t be there,” the Texas Republican said.

The final chapter of late Sen Dianne Feinstein also played out in public view. In 2023, Feinstein was absent from the Senate for months before mounting pressure pushed her back to Washington. Her physical and mental decline became a constant topic on Capitol Hill. She died while still serving in office at age 90.

Republicans hold narrow House majority amid absences

The timing matters politically, too.

Republicans currently hold only a narrow House majority, and Democrats have already suffered multiple losses this congressional term.

Reps David Scott, Sylvester Turner, Raúl Grijalva, and Gerry Connolly all died during the 119th Congress. Scott was 80, while the other three lawmakers were in their 70s.