Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a Republican from New Jersey, returns to the U.S. House after nearly four months away, saying his absence was due to medical treatment for depression. Kean last voted in March and reappears on the House floor on Tuesday, explaining that he entered the hospital for health concerns and was ultimately given a diagnosis of depression. Multiple outlets report that Kean described an extended hospital stay for treatment and told colleagues that there is no set timeline for recovery from depression. In remarks reported across the outlets, he frames the issue as personal and health-related, while acknowledging that he did not expect a long-term absence when he first went to the hospital. Several reports also note that his return comes as political circumstances are competitive, and Kean previously offered limited information about his delay in attending Congress, citing a personal medical issue. The accounts agree on the core facts: Kean’s nearly four-month absence, his hospital treatment, and his stated depression diagnosis upon return.
Rep. Tom Kean Returns to House After Four-Month Absence, Citing Depression Treatment
Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a Republican from New Jersey, returns to the U.S. House after nearly four months away, saying his absence was due to medical treatment for depression. Kean last voted in March and r...
- Rep. Tom Kean Jr. returns to the U.S. House after nearly four months of absence.
- Kean says he was diagnosed with depression.
- He says he entered a hospital for health concerns and remained there longer than expected for treatment.
- Kean last voted in March before his absence.
- Kean gives these explanations during remarks on the House floor.
New Jersey Republican Tom Kean Jr, told fellow lawmakers that depression was the reason he had been away since March.
1 hour agoTom Kean Jr, who last voted in March, says he entered hospital months ago and was diagnosed with depressionTom Kean Jr, a Republican congressman who disappeared from the Capitol for nearly four months with little explanation, re-emerged on Tuesday and said that he was absent while dealing with depression.“Several months ago, due to health concerns, I entered the hospital for some testing. I did not believe that this would result in a long-term stay. I was given the diagnosis of depression,” Kean said in a speech on the floor of the House Tuesday morning. Continue reading...
1 hour ago“As the over 48 million of my fellow Americans being treated for this illness have come to discover there is no timeline for healing," Kean said.
1 hour agoThe New Jersey congressman revealed that he had been diagnosed with depression and spent an extended period in the hospital receiving treatment.
1 hour agoRepublican Representative Thomas Kean Jr. is back at work, and finally explained Tuesday why he went missing in March without any explanation. In a speech on the House floor, Kean said that he was hospitalized on doctor’s orders for depression. He noted that it was a “difficult speech” for him to make as he is a private person and talking about himself doesn’t come naturally, but said that “I believe I owe an explanation to the people of New Jersey’s 7th district, my colleagues in this chamber, and to the American people for my actions.” Kean said months ago, he underwent medical testing at a hospital and was diagnosed with depression. He didn’t believe he would need a long-term hospital stay, but was advised to remain by doctors, and early on, he didn’t understand his condition. Rep. Tom Kean says his absence from the House was due to depression pic.twitter.com/AbQRdc4d88— Acyn (@Acyn) June 30, 2026“It is physical. It is emotional. And until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be,” Kean said. He said he was hesitant to accept his doctors’ advice that a long-term hospital stay would be the fastest way to recovery, given his obligations and responsibilities to his family, colleagues, and constituents. “But, as the over 48 million of my fellow Americans being treated for this illness have come to discover, there is no timeline for healing. There is no timeline for recovery. Only the work of getting better, one day at a time,” Kean said. It was a heartfelt speech, but the New Jersey congressman failed to explain why his social media accounts continued to post regularly and his office still introduced legislation while he was missing. Kean’s financial disclosures showed that he was also trading stocks in April while he was ostensibly in the hospital, and his reelection campaign racked up travel expenses showing him using Uber and Amtrak in San Francisco, far from his constituents, in that same month. If Kean’s depression was so severe that he needed hospitalization, how does he explain personally trading stocks and racking up travel expenses on the other side of the country? He missed several important votes in Congress, including on the budget. He’s not in a safe Republican district, either: Donald Trump carried it by just one percentage point in 2024 and Democratic Governor Mikie Sherrill won it by two last November. Kean is not the first member of Congress to deal with depression: Former Representative Jesse Jackson Jr. was treated at the Mayo Clinic for bipolar depression in 2012 and later resigned that year, and former Representative Patrick Kennedy dealt with depression during his congressional career, receiving in-patient treatment in 2006 and 2009 and deciding not to run for reelection in 2010. While Kean won his primary unopposed, he faces Democrat and former Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett in November’s general election, and may not be able to escape scrutiny over how much he is telling the truth about the last few months.
2 hours agoRep. Tom Kean Jr. revealed on the House floor on Tuesday his diagnosis for depression led to extended hospital treatment. The post Tom Kean Reveals Depression Treatment After Four-Month Absence from Congress appeared first on Breitbart.
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