New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean Jr. missed more than 140 roll call votes.Show Caption
WASHINGTON – After four months away from his taxpayer-funded job in Congress, Rep. Thomas Kean Jr. finally revealed the reason behind his absence.In a June 30 speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, the Republican lawmaker said he was hospitalized several months ago and diagnosed with depression. He said his doctors recommended that he remain hospitalized and explained it would be the "fastest way to recover.""Asking for help is not a weakness," he said. "It is a strength."Kean did not offer more specific details about his hospitalization. He argued that many people don't fully appreciate the severity of depression, one of the most common mental health disorders affecting millions of Americans. The depression rate among U.S. adults has remained at historic highs in recent years, sitting at more than 18% in the most recent Gallup poll."Until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be," Kean said.The congressman, who represents New Jersey's 7th Congressional District and is the son of a former Garden State governor, missed more than 140 votes since March. USA TODAY's repeated attempts to reach him during his absence were unsuccessful."Like many people, I believed that I could simply push through," he said. "But I agreed to follow my doctors' recommendations."The lawmaker is facing a tough general election race in November. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report shifted its outlook last November for the contest from leaning Republican to a toss-up. The Democrat running to replace him, former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett, has already hammered his voting record. So has the national Democratic Party."Career politician Tom Kean Jr. has never been more vulnerable," Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Eli Cousin said in a May statement.Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, who was in touch with Kean during his absence, has consistently defended the congressman. The GOP leader said he hoped Kean's speech about his "health condition" would help clarify his absence."If it were me, I would have been more specific about that, and I encouraged him to be," Johnson said. "It will be understandable to you."Zachary Schermele is the congressional correspondent for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.
