Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-New Jersey) has pledged to be “completely transparent” upon his return about what happened.
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Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-New Jersey) returned to the U.S. House on Tuesday, ending a mysterious four-month-long absence that drew national media attention and triggered concerns within his party about protecting the narrow Republican House majority.
Kean was seen on the House floor shortly before 10 a.m.
Kean and his team have dodged questions about his whereabouts and condition since his last vote March 5. Under rising pressure to address his disappearance, Kean shared a social media post on April 27 saying he was dealing with an unspecified “personal medical issue” but did not disclose the nature or severity of his condition.
After Kean won his primary unopposed earlier this month, he posted that he would return to Capitol Hill “within a matter of weeks” and would be “completely transparent” about the nature of his medical condition once back.
Kean, a second-term congressman, is running for reelection in one of Congress’s most vulnerable Republican districts. As Kean’s secretiveness fueled intrigue, Republicans became increasingly concerned that his prolonged absence could cost them his swing seat and potentially their House majority.
Kean’s absence also made life more difficult for GOP leadership, which has navigated tight votes in recent months on restraining President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran and reauthorizing a controversial section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
But Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) continued to defended Kean. Asked about the congressman’s absence at a June 3 news conference, Johnson said he had spoken with Kean on the phone days earlier and knew what his health issue was but that he would leave it to the congressman to share more details when he returned.
“It’s not a scandalous thing at all. People deal with health issues. Maybe that’s a news flash for you, but even members of Congress get sick,” Johnson said.
Kean, who missed votes Monday evening, will have a light first week: The House is scheduled to leave town Thursday for a week-long recess.
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