GOP Rep. Tom Kean says depression diagnosis caused months-long absence from Cong

Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., said Tuesday that he was diagnosed with depression, explaining a months-long absence from Congress that had become a political liability in one of the nation's most competitive House districts in the 2026 midterm elections.

Kean, a second-term Republican who represents New Jersey's 7th District, had not cast a House vote since March 5 and missed more than 140 votes while he was away from Washington. His absence drew increasing questions as it lengthened without explanation. His office had previously described the absence only as a personal medical issue.

"When I said I hope to return in a matter of weeks, I believed it," Kean said on the House floor, his first appearance there since March 5.

Kean continued, "Those were the best estimates the doctors could provide, but as the over 48 million of my fellow Americans being treated for this illness have come to discover — there is no timeline for healing, there is no timeline for recovery, only the work of getting better one day at a time."

Kean said he went to the hospital several months ago for testing after experiencing health concerns and there received the depression diagnosis. His doctors recommended

Fuente original: CNBC Top News (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/30/tom-kean-depression-congress-absence.html)