Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from the House of Representatives for more than two months and hasn’t cast a vote since March 5.
The New Jersey Republican reportedly has been dealing with an unspecified “personal health matter.”
His father, former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean Sr., provided an update on his potential return.
However, it's still unclear what health complications have caused the Republican's two-month absence from the House.
According to CNN, Kean Sr. said his son had a serious but temporary illness.
“He’s hopefully coming back soon and he’s under the care of a doctor,” Kean Sr. told the outlet.
“They all agree he’s going to be fine. He’s under a doctor’s care," he added.
Kean Jr. reportedly has been seen by multiple doctors.
CNN: Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ) is under doctor’s care, his father says amid mysterious absence from Washington
In an interview with CNN, Kean Sr. said his son is recovering from what he described as a serious but temporary illness, pushing back on speculation surrounding the…
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CNN explained further:
“It took a real illness to knock him out,” Kean Sr. added. “This won’t linger. It’s not some kind of disease that’s going to incapacitate him in the future. The consensus is that he will be 100% OK.”
Kean Sr. declined to specify the illness and said disclosure decisions are “up to him,” referring to his son.
The New Jersey congressman’s office has been equally vague, with his chief of staff saying without elaboration this week that Kean “is still attending to a personal health matter” and will return to a full schedule “soon.”
The former governor’s remarks come amid spiking anxiety among top House Republicans about Kean’s absence — and unusual silence surrounding it on Capitol Hill. Party leaders and senior aides have repeatedly told CNN they do not have any idea where Kean is or what medical condition he may be suffering from, a rarity for a House GOP leadership team tasked with keeping close contact with rank-and-file members as they navigate their historically narrow majority.
Kean Jr. isn't the lone House member who has been absent for an extended period of time.
Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL), 83, has not voted in the legislative chamber since April 17, missing 43 consecutive votes as of Wednesday.
The Hill has more:
Her monthlong absence went largely unexplained and unnoticed until reporter Jamie Dupree noted her absence in a post on the social platform X on Wednesday, leading reporters to ask House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) about it.
“She’s recovering from a procedure, and I expect that she’ll be back shortly,” Jeffries told reporters in the Capitol.
Wilson later on Thursday released a statement saying that she had undergone eye surgery and while she was unable to fly, her “work has not stopped for a single day.”
“While recovering in the district, I have continued carrying out my official duties, meeting with leaders, local organizations, city and county officials, and constituents,” she said, listing off a series of local events she had particupated in.
“Whether in Washington or in the district, the work never stops for me. Serving the people of Florida’s 24th Congressional District has been the work of my entire adult life. This is my footprint, and this is what I do, and my constituents know my commitment to them is unwavering,” she added.
Republican leaders, by contrast, say they are unaware of what Kean’s actual medical issue is and are not sure when he will be back to work in the House.
