Topline
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., returned to Congress on Tuesday, revealing he was treated for depression as he remained out of the public eye for nearly four months after previously disclosing his absence was because of a “personal medical issue.”
An earlier statement from Kean said he was addressing a “personal medical issue.”
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Key Facts
Kean, who spoke on the House floor on Tuesday, disclosed his depression diagnosis and said his doctors “recommended that I remain in the hospital to address my illness,” noting he was “grateful that I accepted help.”
Kean, representing New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, last voted in the House on March 5.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said ahead of Kean’s floor speech that he would have been more forthcoming about his condition: “If it were me, I would have been more specific about that, and I encouraged him to be.”
Johnson said Kean, despite his absence, had “worked overtime,” was in “constant contact” with his office, and that he believed Kean’s constituents “have been served throughout this process.”
surprising fact
Kean signed off on five stock trades between April 14 and May 17, according to congressional disclosures, even as he missed more than 100 votes on the House floor. He also introduced legislation, becoming the lead sponsor of the “PREEMPT Act,” a bill that would require the federal government to clarify whether Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program cover early detection screenings for preeclampsia, a complication that sometimes occurs during pregnancy.
key background
Kean, 57, flipped a House seat in 2022 and won reelection in 2024 by six points. His absence sparked a revitalized campaign for his Democratic opponent, Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot. Kean made his first public statement in April, writing he was addressing a “personal medical issue” and that his doctors “assure me that my recovery will be complete and that I will be back to the job I love very soon.” His father, former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean Sr., told NJ.com in May his son’s illness was “serious” but temporary, adding, “He’ll be out in two or three weeks.” Kean Sr. revealed to CNN that his son’s illness was “not some kind of disease that’s going to incapacitate him in the future.”
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