Rep. Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., has been absent from the House for more than a month due to an unspecified health issue, creating challenges for Republican leadership as they navigate must-pass legislation with limited votes to spare.
Kean's absence comes during a critical period when the House is set to consider a budget blueprint for immigration enforcement and legislation reauthorizing the government's warrantless surveillance powers. With Republicans holding only a slim majority, every party-line vote matters.
What the Right Is Saying
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., expressed confidence in Kean's recovery and future return to full legislative duties.
"He is attending to a personal health matter and expects to be back to 100% very soon," Johnson said in a statement. "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."
Harrison Neely, Kean's spokesperson, echoed that sentiment, telling Fox News Digital: "He's expected to be totally fine and back to a full schedule soon." Neely did not specify when Kean plans to resume voting or disclose the nature of his illness.
Kean's office has continued legislative outreach during his absence. On Wednesday, his office highlighted that two bills he introduced earlier in this Congress advanced out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, though Kean was not present for the committee markup.
What the Left Is Saying
National Democrats have seized on Kean's extended absence as an electoral vulnerability, particularly given that Cook Political Report rates his seat as a toss-up heading into November's elections.
"New Jersey voters deserve to know where Congressman Kean Jr. is and why he continues to play the stock market while in office," Eli Cousin, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, told Fox News Digital.
The DCCC pointed to a NOTUS report finding that Kean has continued executing personal stock trades during his time away from Washington. A Kean spokesperson previously told The New Jersey Globe that the congressman's investments are handled by financial advisors without his direct involvement.
Democrats are aggressively targeting Kean's swing district ahead of November, with four candidates competing in a June primary to challenge him. Kean defeated Democratic candidate Sue Altman by five percentage points in 2024.
What the Numbers Show
According to GovTrack, which monitors congressional absences, Kean has missed 50 roll call votes since March 17. His last recorded vote was on March 5, meaning he has been absent for nearly two months of House proceedings — a 100% absence rate during that period.
House Republicans currently hold a razor-thin majority in the chamber, giving Johnson limited margin for error on party-line legislation. The exact number of GOP votes needed to pass such measures depends on Democratic opposition and any crossover votes.
Kean won his 2024 race by approximately five points over Altman, a margin that placed it among the competitive House contests decided last cycle.
The Bottom Line
Kean's extended absence highlights the fragility of the Republican majority heading into key legislative battles. While his office maintains he will return to full duties soon, the lack of a specific timeline leaves GOP leaders planning without certainty about their vote count.
For now, Johnson must navigate must-pass legislation with reduced margin while awaiting Kean's eventual return. The situation also underscores Democrats' focus on competitive House seats as they seek to narrow the Republican majority in upcoming elections.