As the New York Timesreports, the controversy over a long unexplained absence from Congress by a New Jersey Republican representative ended this week, after Rep. Tom Kean reappeared in the Capitol to apologize to colleagues for missing over 100 votes in over three months, and discuss his diagnosis with depression:
Representative Thomas H. Kean Jr., the New Jersey Republican who vanished from Congress and the campaign trail in March with almost no explanation, said Tuesday that his long absence had been for a hospitalization to treat depression.
“Several months ago, due to health concerns, I entered the hospital for some testing,” he said in a short speech on the House floor during his first day on Capitol Hill since disappearing more than 100 days ago. “I was given the diagnosis of depression.”
Mr. Kean added: “Many people think it is feeling sad. It is so much more than that. It is physical, it is emotional, and until you experience it yourself,” it is hard to understand “how powerful this illness could be.”
At least in part owing to the narrow Republican House majority Speaker Mike Johnson is charged with defending, Republican colleagues warmly welcomed Rep. Kean back into the fold:
Speaker Mike Johnson indicated that he had urged Mr. Kean to share more about his condition earlier, to avoid rampant speculation that grew into a national fascination with the mystery of the congressman who had vanished. He told reporters that he had “encouraged him many times over the last few months” to be more transparent about his health.
“If it were me, I would have been more specific about that,” he said, noting that Mr. Kean’s condition was very common. After his speech, Mr. Johnson commended him for addressing it “appropriately” and said he was confident Mr. Kean would win re-election.
Depression is a medical condition entitled to the same privacy as any other medical condition, but usually when a member of Congress is absent for a lengthy period, the reason for said absence is at least disclosed. It may be that the stigma associated with mental health challenges motivates some people to keep it hidden, but there are situations where that can backfire, and a member of Congress mysteriously vanishing for three months raises its own set of questions.
One can certainly understand in any event why Republicans would be happy to have Rep. Kean back to protect his seat in the upcoming midterm elections. But as The Hillreports, a certain cantankerous cartpetbagger from Colorado is flapping her jaws uphelpfully in that regard:
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) on Monday criticized fellow GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (N.J.) for his four-month absence from Congress after the New Jersey lawmaker returned to the Capitol…
While Boebert said Monday it is important for her colleague to “take care” of himself and “get healthy,” she wondered “who gets to take four months off of work because they’re sad?”
She added, “Whatever the reasons may be, it’s embarrassing. I don’t care what party you’re a part of, it’s not OK.”
The conservative firebrand also elected not to endorse Kean, saying she believes in “proper representation” despite her preference for Republicans to keep their House majority.
Rep. Kean’s response to Rep. Lauren Boebert should be that the length of time someone is out of work for a medical condition is determined by what’s medically appropriate to treat that condition. And after defending the likes of convicted and pardoned fraudster George Santos serving in Congress, we can’t say we put much stock in Boebert’s opinion on “proper representation.”
But if Boebert’s backstab helps Democrats get one seat closer to a House majority in November?
That will leave her with more depressed colleagues to pick on, anyway.
July 02, 2026 01:24 PM UTC
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