Kean pushes back return date by several more weeks

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), who told the New Jersey Globe by phone two weeks ago that his lengthy medical absence from Congress and the campaign trail would be over “in the next couple of weeks,” is now pushing his return date back further.

In a new statement released this afternoon, Kean once again declined to say what it is that’s kept him out of the public eye and the halls of the Capitol since early March. But all will be revealed, the two-term congressman said, once he does at last make his return.

“Right now I am focused on my recovery and under the advice of healthcare professionals, I will transition from virtual work to in person work within a matter of weeks,” Kean said. “At that time I will be completely transparent as to the nature of my medical condition.”

“I understand the need for transparency on this matter and I look forward to sharing my experience with the public,” he continued.

Kean will appear on primary ballots today as the only Republican running in the 7th congressional district, a key swing district that Democrats hope to flip in November. The congressman has insisted he’s still seeking re-election, and his campaign social media accounts recently promoted his endorsement from President Donald Trump. (Kean himself voted in the primary via absentee ballot.)

His assurances, though, have not stopped rumors from circulating in both parties about whether he’ll in fact remain on the ballot in November, and what will happen if he doesn’t. Kean’s allies in New Jersey GOP circles don’t seem to have much more information about his condition than the public, nor do Republican House leaders in Washington.

Kean last cast a vote on March 5, and has missed more than 100 roll-call votes as well as a large number of committee meetings and other pieces of official business since then. The New Jersey Globe first reported on his absence on March 20 – his office said at the time that he’d be back “soon,” a word that his staffers have repeated in almost every public statement since then – and it became a national news story in mid-April.

Kean’s office, though, is still posting on social media, sending letters, and introducing bills; though it’s not clear how involved Kean has been in those day-to-day affairs, his statement today references the “virtual work” he’s been doing during his absence.

The House is scheduled to be in session for the next two weeks before departing for another weeklong recess. In total, the chamber has six more legislative weeks planned prior to its monthlong summer break; if Kean isn’t back by the week of July 20, the next opportunity for him to return to Washington won’t be until August 31.