Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from Capitol Hill since March.
Now the longtime Republican lawmaker has suddenly returned and given an abrupt update on his return to work.
According to reports, Kean was spotted returning to his northern New Jersey home and is mounting a return to Congress next week after an unexplained absence lasting nearly four months.
GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr. back at New Jersey home ahead of return to Congress https://t.co/yzutDRKQna pic.twitter.com/vlIYPdflrb
— New York Post (@nypost) June 25, 2026
Kean greeted a New York Times reporter at his home in Westfield Wednesday evening, but declined to speak on his time away, saying: “It’s good to see you. I’ll talk to you next week. Thank you.”
The 57-year-old’s top adviser, Harrison Neely, added in a text message to the Times that Kean “will be fully transparent” when he returns to Washington on June 30.
Kean hasn’t cast a House vote since March 5 and has missed 139 roll calls since.
Kean’s team has declined to explain his absence beyond calling it a “personal health matter” and claiming the congressman is “focused on his recovery.”
But will Kean be welcome back to his role?
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) confirmed to reporters earlier this month on Capitol Hill that “I do know what his health issue is, but he’s asked me not to disclose that, and I’m going to honor that.”
“It’s not a scandalous thing at all,” Johnson added June 3.
“People deal with health issues. Maybe that’s a newsflash for you, but even members of Congress get sick as well.”
In Kean’s absence, Johnson has tried to project calm publicly while privately acknowledging the situation is a political problem.
“Like everyone, sometimes things happen that are out of our control. We have medical issues. We’ve got to deal with them,” the speaker said.
During his absence, Kean won the Republican nomination for a third House term repping New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District after running in the primary unopposed. He will face Democrat Rebecca Bennett in a race seen by many as a toss-up.
“I certainly wish him well, and I hope he has a speedy recovery. I do think looking at his record, he has absolutely failed this district,” Bennett told NBC News May 21.
“If I was our member of Congress,” she added, “I would certainly be more transparent about what’s going on.”
President Donald Trump personally endorsed Kean on Truth Social the night before the primary, calling him “a strong supporter of my America First Agenda” who is “working tirelessly” for New Jersey families.
Kean was first elected in 2022 and represents a large, affluent suburban district centered in Bergen County, a swing seat that could help determine the House majority. He won re-election in 2024 by a narrow margin.