GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr. Returns Home Ahead Of Planned Return To Congress
Rep. Tom Kean Jr. has returned to his northern New Jersey home as he prepares to resume his duties in Congress next week following an unexplained absence that has lasted nearly four months.
The New Jersey Republican briefly greeted a New York Times reporter outside his Westfield home on Wednesday evening but declined to discuss his time away.
“It’s good to see you. I’ll talk to you next week. Thank you,” Kean said.
His top political adviser, Harrison Neely, later told the outlet that the congressman “will be fully transparent” when he returns to Washington on June 30.
Kean, 57, last cast a House vote on March 5 and has since missed 139 roll call votes. His office has repeatedly described his absence only as a “personal health matter,” saying he has been focused on his recovery without providing additional details.
Earlier this month, House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed that he knows the nature of Kean’s health issue but said he would honor the congressman’s request for privacy.
“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 told reporters.
“It’s not a scandalous thing at all,” the speaker added. “People deal with health issues. Maybe that’s a news flash for you, but even members of Congress get sick as well.”
As questions mounted over the lengthy absence, reports that Kean had left his Westfield home fueled speculation about his condition. Some constituents also expressed frustration that phone calls and emails to the congressman’s office had gone unanswered.
Kean’s chief of staff, Dan Scharfenberger, offered little clarification when asked about the congressman’s whereabouts earlier this spring, telling the New York Times only, “There’s no cameras where Tom is.”
Despite his absence from Capitol Hill, Kean secured the Republican nomination for another term representing New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District after running unopposed in the primary. He is expected to face Democrat Rebecca Bennett in one of the country’s most competitive House races this November.
Bennett wished Kean well but argued that voters deserve greater transparency.
“I certainly wish him well, and I hope he has a speedy recovery. I do think looking at his record, he has absolutely failed this district,” Bennett told NBC News in May.
“If I was our member of Congress,” she added, “I would certainly be more transparent about what’s going on.”
Kean is expected to return to Capitol Hill on June 30, where he has pledged to address questions surrounding his prolonged absence.