Rep. Tom Kean discloses depression diagnosis upon return from months-long absence
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A nameplate for Rrp. Thomas Kean displayed during a House Foreign Affairs Committee markup on Capitol Hill on June 9. Photo: Elizabeth Frantz/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Rep. Tom Kean (R-N.J.) on Tuesday said he missed nearly four months of House votes because of "a diagnosis of depression," ending speculation over an absence that became one of the longest by a sitting member of Congress.
Why it matters: Kean's disappearance from Congress left New Jersey's 7th District without a voting representative for more than 100 days.
- "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 on the House floor Tuesday morning.
- Kean said his doctors recommended he remain in the hospital.
Tuesday's floor speech marked the New Jersey Republican's first detailed public explanation for his prolonged absence since he last voted on March 5.
- "This is not an easy speech for me to give, I am a private person by nature...But I believe that I owe an explanation to the people of New Jersey's 7th district, to my colleagues in this chamber, and to the American people for my absence."
Driving the news: Kean said in a statement in April that he was dealing with a "personal medical issue," and was expected to "fully recover," but he and his staff have declined to offer details until now.
- His office offered no timeline for his return until June 18, when it was announced he would return June 30.
- He missed more than 100 consecutive House votes during his absence.
- "When I said I hope to return in a matter of weeks, I believed it. Those were the best estimates that doctors could provide." Kean said Tuesday.
The big picture: Kean is not the first member of Congress to speak openly about their personal mental health battles.
- In 2023, Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) checked himself into Walter Reed Medical Center seeking treatment for clinical depression. Fetterman was absent from the Senate for almost three months while receiving treatment.
- Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), both veterans of the war in Iraq, have been open about their struggles with PTSD.
- Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) also disclosed her experience with depression in 2019.
"If sharing my story encourages even one person to seek help, if it gives one family the courage to have a difficult conversation, or reminds one person that recovery is possible, then this moment will have been worthwhile," Kean said Tuesday.
Between the lines: Kean's absence was also consequential for House GOP leaders navigating a razor-thin House majority.
- Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) can only afford to lose a handful of votes on party-line bills.
- The speaker said earlier this month that he had spoken with Kean by phone, but many rank-and-file Republicans said they had little information about the reason for his prolonged absence.
- Democrats and some New Jersey constituents also criticized the lack of transparency surrounding Kean's condition and expected return.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with details about other lawmakers' mental health struggles and additional comments from Kean.
