New Jersey congressman absent for weeks
Chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram discusses Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s, R-N.J., absence from Congress for weeks, missing over 50 votes since early March.
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Rep. Tom Kean Jr., a GOP lawmaker who has been absent from Washington for more than two months, will miss votes again this week, his office confirmed to Digital.
“Congressman Kean is still attending to a personal health matter, and we appreciate the outpouring of support,” Dan Scharfenberger, Kean’s chief of staff, said in a statement Monday. “He will be returning to a regular full schedule soon.”
Kean, 57, has not specified when he plans to return to work or the nature of his health issue. His office has insisted for weeks that he would resume his congressional responsibilities “soon.”
The New Jersey Republican has not voted since March 5, according to GovTrack, a website that monitors congressional activities. During that time, he missed all 70 roll-call votes in the lower chamber, including legislation to end the government shutdown and extend a critical warrantless surveillance tool.
Rep. Thomas Kean Jr., R-N.J., arrives for the House Republican Conference caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 2026. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)
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Kean’s absence has an outsize impact on House Republicans’ razor-thin majority as House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., can afford to spare just a handful of votes on party-line bills. Democrats have also struggled to maintain full attendance in recent weeks.
Johnson said in April that he spoke with Kean on the phone and expects him to make a full recovery.
“Tom is one of the most dedicated and hardest-working members of Congress, and I am grateful for all he does and will continue to do to serve New Jerseyans and our country,” Johnson said in a statement obtained by Digital.
House Speaker Mike Johnson speaks during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 13, 2026. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
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Kean’s prolonged absence from Washington comes as he faces a potentially difficult re-election battle in one of the country’s most contested districts. House Democrats’ campaign arm is expected to aggressively target the swing seat and four Democratic candidates are vying to take him on in a crowded June primary.
The New Jersey Republican has no GOP challengers and is running for a third House term with President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the contest as a “toss-up” after downgrading the race in favor of Democrats last year.
President Donald Trump has endorsed Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s re-election bid. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
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Kean’s office has continued to post on social media while he recovers from the undisclosed medical issue.
“The Congressman’s team continues to serve the people of New Jersey uninterrupted,” Scharfenberger said in a statement.
