Rep. Tom Kean Jr., the Republican congressman who has been missing from day-to-day duties for nearly four months, finally revealed the mysterious reason behind his absence.
In a floor speech on Tuesday, the first time he has been seen since his last vote on March 5, Kean revealed he was diagnosed with depression earlier this year and doctors recommended he stay hospitalized while he recovered. The speech ends months of speculation surrounding his absence, particularly as neither the congressman nor his office provided any reasoning beyond the fact he was dealing with a “personal medical issue.”
“When I said I hoped to return in a matter of weeks, I believed it,” Kean said. “Those were the best estimates the doctors could provide, but as the over 48 million of my fellow Americans being treated for this illness have come to discover, there is no timeline for healing, there is no timeline for recovery — only the work of getting better one day at a time.”
Kean’s return comes after missing 142 votes in the House, and as the New Jersey Republican runs for reelection in one of the most competitive districts in the country.
Kean’s last recorded vote was on March 5. On April 27, Kean released a public statement saying he was dealing with a “personal medical issue” but that he expected to return “very soon.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., had sought to tamp down concerns over the last several weeks, noting he had spoken to Kean a handful of times during his absence.
Johnson told reporters on Tuesday that he encouraged Kean to be more transparent about his condition while he was away, but ultimately the speaker left it in his hands.
“There’s no conspiracy involved in this at all,” Johnson said ahead of Kean’s speech. “If it were me, I would have been more specific about that, and I encouraged him to be. He will today, but it will be understandable to you. It’s not an uncommon kind of condition and ailment that he’s been fighting, and I think people resonate with that.”
Democrats have seized on the secrecy surrounding Kean’s absence, looking at it as an opportunity to flip New Jersey’s 7th District in November. The seat is rated as a tossup by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
Still, Johnson has remained confident Kean will win reelection.
“I think the American people understand that. I think Tom gets reelected easily this fall, and he’ll be back in full health,” the speaker said on Tuesday.
Kean will face Democratic candidate Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot, in the general election in November.