A Republican lawmaker who has been missing from Congress for more than a month has finally broken his silence about the absence.
New Jersey representative Tom Kean Jr., 57, had missed more than 50 roll call votes since March 17 without any explanation to his constituents, his colleagues, or the American public.
Other New Jersey Republicans said their outreach had met “radio silence”, while his staff only said he was dealing with unspecified health problems.
But on Monday, Kean — who is facing a tough reelection bid in November — posted a message in his own voice on social media thanking people for their “patience” as he addressed a “personal medical issue.”
“My doctors continue to assure me that my recovery will be complete, and that I will be back to the job I love very soon. I expect to return to a full schedule and be at 100 percent,” Kean said on X.
“I take my responsibilities seriously and have a strong record of showing up and delivering, which makes this absence all the more difficult…
“I also want to thank my friends and colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their patience and understanding during this time. I appreciate your support and look forward to being back in the near future.”
Yet Kean’s post offered little concrete information beyond what his staff had already said weeks earlier, giving no further details of the health issue nor any timeline for his return.
Kean’s district is expected to be the most competitive congressional race in New Jersey in this year’s midterm elections, covering a large patch of the Garden State’s affluent northwest including the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster.
He is running for reelection against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s plans to open an immigration detention facility in the district, prompting protests from the public.
Kean wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on April 7 about the plans and asked the department to “take a deeper look and give careful consideration to the concerns raised by local officials.”
Both Democrats and Republicans struggled to hear back from Kean, with one Nebraska GOP representative saying he didn’t even realize Kean had been gone so long until he tried and failed to find him on the House floor last week.
“It’s been a long absence,” New Jersey Democrat Rob Menendez told Politico. “I hope he’s doing all right. But I haven’t heard anything.”
Nevertheless, Kean’s absence did not prevent him from buying and selling shares on the stock market, according to a report by the D.C. news site NOTUS.
A spokesperson said his personal investments were in a “blind structure”, but gave no further details.
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