The House’s missing lawmaker, Rep. Thomas Kean Jr., will be returning to Washington by the end of the month after leaving Capitol Hill more than 100 days ago.
“The congressman will be back for votes on June 30,” his political adviser, Harrison Neely, told the New Jersey Globe Thursday.
The New Jersey Republican has missed 135 votes since March 5 because of an undisclosed medical condition that limited his congressional presence. He confirmed to the state media outlet that his issues are not chronic and his illness will not affect his cognitive skills.
Mr. Kean told the New Jersey Globe near the end of May that he was nearing a full recovery, but he pushed his return date back several weeks later.
“I understand the need for transparency on this matter, and I look forward to sharing my experience with the public,” he said at the time.
His slated return from medical leave would be right before the House takes a week off for the Fourth of July, meaning he would have three days of votes before the lower chamber goes out of session.
Despite his illness, he remains locked in a reelection campaign against Democrat Rebecca Bennett as Democrats look to flip his seat.
Mr. Kean himself reportedly voted in the primary, in which he ran unopposed, via absentee ballot. The two-term lawmaker also secured an endorsement from President Trump this month.
When the New Jersey Globe contacted Mr. Kean’s office about his leave of absence in March, staffers said he would be back “soon.”
Even though he has been MIA in Congress, he has introduced legislation, which his office described to the New Jersey Globe as “virtual work” during his in-person absence.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has defended Mr. Kean’s three-month absence, saying in early June that he would return soon and provide “full transparency” on his health issue.
“It’s not a scandalous thing at all,” the Louisiana Republican said. “People deal with health issues.”
While he added that he knows the medical condition that has sidelined Mr. Kean, he declined to offer any additional information.
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