Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) will cast his first vote in the House in four months on Tuesday, returning from a prolonged absence as he dealt with depression.
Kean, 57, said doctors diagnosed him with depression after he sought medical testing, and he said he did not believe it would result in a long-term stay.
“Now, when people hear the word depression, many people think it’s simply the need to feel sad, but depression is so much more than that,” Kean said. “It is physical, it is emotional, and until you experience it yourself, it’s difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”
Kean has been absent from Capitol Hill due to a health matter since March and has missed more than 100 votes, but few details were shared with the public in that time regarding his condition.
The New Jersey lawmaker did not answer questions from reporters when he arrived on Capitol Hill. Upon entering the House floor, Kean appeared to be in good spirits, chatting with other GOP lawmakers and flipping through a binder as he prepared to deliver his speech.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters before Kean’s floor speech that if he were in Kean’s shoes, he “would have been more specific” about his condition and that he has encouraged Kean to be transparent during his remarks. However, Johnson asserted that there is “no conspiracy” surrounding Kean’s absence and that it “isn’t scandalous at all.”
“It’s not an uncommon kind of condition and ailment that he’s been fighting, and I think people resonate with that,” Johnson said. “I think he’ll get a lot of empathy because it’s something that’s very, very common.”
The speaker declined to share the details of Kean’s health matter earlier this month, telling reporters that Kean asked him to not disclose it.
“I do know what his health issue is, but he’s asked me not to disclose that, and I’m going to honor that,” Johnson said. “I should do that. That’s my job. I’ll do the same for anyone.”
While Kean himself has been absent since March, his social accounts have remained active, and the congressman has certified several stock trades made on his behalf. He has also signed off on “gift travel” expenses for his staff.
Kean is seeking reelection to New Jersey’s 7th District and will face former Navy pilot Rebecca Bennett in November. Kean ran unopposed in the GOP primary election; however, the New Jersey Republican’s absence has sparked GOP concern about whether he will be able to maintain his seat in November.
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The New Jersey Republican is seeking his third term in Congress in one of the nation’s most competitive seats, and winning it will be crucial to the GOP’s effort to hold its narrow House majority. President Donald Trump narrowly carried the district in 2024 after former President Joe Biden won it in 2020.
Democrats are targeting Kean’s seat as a prime pickup opportunity, with Kean being the only New Jersey Republican on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Districts in Play” target list.
Lauren Green contributed to this story.
This story is developing and will be updated.