Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., delivered an emotional speech Tuesday revealing for the first time the medical condition that kept him away from the House and campaign stops for nearly four months.
Kean said he was given a diagnosis of depression after entering the hospital for “some testing.” He said the illness took him months to heal from and left him under doctors’ care during a prolonged stay in the hospital.
“I’m grateful that I accepted help, because today I stand before you stronger, healthier and excited to return to the work that I love,” Kean said on the House floor.
Tuesday’s speech came after Kean, 57, returned to Washington this week after being absent since early March. A spokesperson for the New Jersey Republican said earlier this month that Kean would return for the June 30 session.
REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMAN WILL END MONTHS-LONG ABSENCE FROM DC AFTER MISSING 135 ROLL CALL VOTES
During his recovery, he missed 140 roll call votes, amounting to a 100% absence rate, according to the website GovTrack.
Throughout his absence, Kean’s office suggested he would return to work shortly but pushed back the timeline on several occasions. In his speech, Kean said the reason was that he didn’t understand how long it would take him to fully recover.
“When I said I hoped to return in a matter of weeks, I believed it,” Kean said. “Those were the best estimates that 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.”
The two-term lawmaker kept the nature of his condition private while recovering, but promised transparency upon his return. His silence appeared to extend to House Republican leadership, who said they were in the dark about Kean’s ailment when questioned by reporters on several occasions.
His return will pad Republicans’ razor-thin majority as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., aims to clear a must-pass defense bill through the House chamber this week.
Johnson said Tuesday that he expected Kean to receive a lot of empathy for his condition upon its reveal, adding that he had encouraged the New Jersey lawmaker to be transparent during his absence.
“It’s not an uncommon kind of condition and ailment that he’s been fighting, and I think people resonate with that,” the speaker said.
Kean previously told The New Jersey Globe that the medical issue did not impact his cognitive ability and that he was not dealing with any chronic problems that could affect his decision to seek a third House term.
Even while away from the Capitol, Kean’s office continued to post on social media, draft legislation and introduce his remarks into the congressional record.
MISSING GOP CONGRESSMAN REVEALS HE’S ‘MORE ENERGIZED THAN EVER’ TO RETURN TO WASHINGTON
Kean’s return to work comes as he is facing a serious re-election threat from former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett, a Democrat running with establishment support.
Bennett is expected to emphasize her national security credentials — a similar playbook that Gov. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., deployed during her rise to the governorship.
The suburban swing seat is one of the most competitive House districts in the country and Democrats are expected to aggressively seek Kean’s defeat.
The GOP incumbent is endorsed by President Donald Trump and did not face a challenger during the May primary.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Kean’s re-election bid as a “toss-up.”
