Rep. Tom Kean Jr. returned to the House floor Tuesday after nearly a four-month absence, explaining that he had been hospitalized after a depression diagnosis.
“When people hear the word depression, many people think simply it means feeling sad,” Kean said. “Depression is so much more than that. It is physical. It is emotional. And until you experience it yourself, it’s difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”
Kean, a Republican who is seeking reelection this year in the 7th Congressional District, had not voted in Congress since March 5 and declined for months to explain his absence beyond calling it a personal medical issue.
He said Tuesday that when he was admitted to the hospital, he did not believe it would be a long-term stay, but his doctors recommended he remain. He said he was hesitant, pointing to his responsibilities to his family, his constituents, and “this institution,” but he ultimately agreed to treatment.
“There is no timeline for healing,” he said in his five-minute floor speech. “There is no timeline for recovery. Only the work of getting better, one day at a time.”
Kean did not say where he was hospitalized.
Kean’s extended absence from public view has become an issue in his campaign for reelection, with his opponents arguing that he should have been more transparent about why he was not available for his constituents. His Republican colleagues said they had no explanation for Kean’s absence.
Kean on Tuesday thanked his staff for continuing to serve constituents during his absence, and his family for helping him through “some very difficult days.” He said the experience gave him a deeper understanding of an issue affecting millions of Americans.
“Asking for help is not a weakness. It is a strength,” he said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican who said he knew the nature of Kean’s condition for weeks but said he was keeping it confidential at Kean’s request, told reporters in an unrelated press conference ahead of the speech that he had encouraged Kean to be more forthcoming.
“There is no conspiracy,” Johnson said Tuesday.
Kean has missed more than 140 votes since March. In November, he will face Democrat Rebecca Bennett as he seeks a third term in Congress.
