Missing Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. Absent for 75+ Days, Threatens Budget Vote
Representative Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from Congress since March 5, 2026, missing 88 House votes and not seen in Washington for over 75 days. Despite citing a personal health matter, he traveled to San Francisco, traded stocks, and approved staff trips. His absence threatens Speaker Mike Johnson’s budget reconciliation bill, which can only afford two Republican defections. Kean’s district has shifted from lean Republican to a toss-up ahead of the November midterm election.
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Missing Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. Still Introducing Legislation Amid Absence
New Jersey Republican Representative Tom Kean Jr. has been absent from the House and unseen in public since March 2026, citing a personal medical issue. Despite his absence, his office continues to post on social media, introduce legislation, and submit remarks to the Congressional Record. Kean introduced a bill on preeclampsia screening on May 29 and has posted about co-sponsoring a Sikh American antidiscrimination bill. His office initially failed to disclose the reason for his absence for several weeks, only confirming a medical issue after Republican colleagues spoke out. An anonymous New Jersey Democrat expressed concern that staff may be acting without Kean's consultation. Kean won his Republican primary unopposed but will face Democrat Rebecca Bennett in November in the highly competitive 7th district, which Donald Trump carried by one point in 2024.
The New RepublicTrump Endorses Missing Republican Representative Tom Kean Jr. for Reelection
President Donald Trump endorsed Representative Tom Kean Jr. for reelection despite the New Jersey Republican being absent from Washington for over 89 days and missing 104 House votes since March 5, 2026. Kean has cited an unspecified 'personal health matter' as the reason for his disappearance, but reports reveal he used Amtrak and ride-share apps in April, his staff took trips funded by special interest groups, and he traded stocks worth up to $190,000 during his absence. Kean's office has been issuing first-person newsletters and fundraising messages to suggest he remains active. Kean thanked Trump for the endorsement ahead of his primary election on Tuesday night.
The New RepublicTrump Endorses Missing Republican Representative Tom Kean Jr. for Reelection
President Donald Trump has endorsed Representative Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) for reelection, despite the congressman being absent from Washington for over 89 days and missing 104 House votes since March 5, 2026. Kean has cited an unspecified 'personal health matter' for his prolonged absence but has offered few details. Reports indicate Kean used Amtrak and ride-share apps in April, his staff took trips funded by special interest groups, and he traded stocks worth up to $190,000 during his absence. Kean faces a primary election on Tuesday and thanked Trump for the endorsement, though it is unclear if he personally wrote the message. The article raises questions about Kean's transparency and ability to perform his duties.
The New RepublicMissing Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. Traveled, Traded Stocks During Absence
Representative Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from Congress since March 5, 2026, missing 88 House votes and not seen in Washington for over 75 days. Despite claiming an unspecified personal health matter, Kean traveled via Amtrak and rideshare in San Francisco in mid-April, approved staff trips funded by special interest groups to Las Vegas and Virginia, and continued trading stocks in companies including Johnson & Johnson and PepsiCo. His chief of staff obtained Kean's signature for these trips. Kean initially offered a vague explanation after pressure from journalists and lawmakers, promising a return that has not materialized. He now says his prognosis is good and plans to return soon, but his absence threatens House Speaker Mike Johnson's budget reconciliation vote, which can only afford two Republican defections. Kean's district has shifted from lean Republican to a toss-up ahead of the November midterm election.
The New RepublicMissing Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. Traveled, Traded Stocks While Claiming Illness
Representative Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from Congress since March 5, 2026, missing 88 House votes and not seen in Washington for over 75 days. Despite claiming an unspecified personal health matter, Kean traveled via Amtrak and rideshare in San Francisco in mid-April, approved staff trips funded by special interest groups to Las Vegas and Virginia, and continued trading stocks in companies like Johnson & Johnson and PepsiCo, with combined values between $50,008 and $190,000. After pressure from journalists and lawmakers, Kean told House Speaker Mike Johnson he had a health issue and promised a return, but nearly four weeks later he remains absent. On May 21, Kean told the New Jersey Globe his prognosis is good and he plans to return to Washington and the campaign trail soon. His absence is critical as Speaker Johnson advances a partisan budget reconciliation that can only afford two Republican defections. Kean's district has shifted from 'lean Republican' to a toss-up ahead of the November midterm election.
The New RepublicMissing Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. Traveled, Traded Stocks During Absence
Representative Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from Congress since March 5, missing 88 House votes and not seen in Washington for over 75 days. Despite claiming an unspecified personal health matter, Kean traveled via Amtrak and rideshare in San Francisco in mid-April, approved staff trips funded by special interest groups to Las Vegas and Virginia, and continued trading stocks in companies including Johnson & Johnson and PepsiCo. His chief of staff obtained Kean's signature for trips paid by the Republican Main Street Partnership and Center Forward. Kean told the New Jersey Globe his prognosis is good and he plans to return soon, but his absence is critical as House Speaker Mike Johnson advances a partisan budget reconciliation that can only afford two Republican defections. Kean's district has shifted from lean Republican to a toss-up ahead of the November midterm election.
The New RepublicMissing Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. Traveled, Traded Stocks During Absence
Representative Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from Congress since March 5, 2026, missing 88 House votes and not seen in Washington for over 75 days. Despite claiming an unspecified personal health matter, Federal Election Commission records show he traveled via Amtrak and rideshare apps in San Francisco in mid-April. His chief of staff, Dan Scharfenberger, obtained Kean's signature for trips to Las Vegas and Virginia funded by special interest groups. Kean also continued trading stocks in companies including Johnson & Johnson and PepsiCo, with combined values between $50,008 and $190,000. After pressure from journalists and lawmakers, Kean told House Speaker Mike Johnson he had a health issue and promised to return, but has not done so in nearly four weeks. He told the New Jersey Globe his prognosis is good and plans to return soon. His absence is critical as Speaker Johnson advances a partisan budget reconciliation that can only afford two Republican defections. Kean's district has shifted from 'lean Republican' to a toss-up ahead of the November midterm election.
The New RepublicMissing Republican Representative Tom Kean Jr. Unaccounted for Over 75 Days
Representative Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from Washington D.C. since March 5, 2026, missing 88 House votes and not seen for over 75 days. Neighbors in his Westfield, New Jersey district report his home has been dark for weeks, with his wife also absent. A lone truck sits outside covered in pollen. Kean belatedly told House Speaker Mike Johnson he was dealing with a 'personal health matter' nearly four weeks ago, promising to return 'soon.' His absence threatens Speaker Johnson's partisan budget reconciliation bill, which can only afford two Republican defections. Kean's district has shifted from 'lean Republican' to a toss-up, and his disappearance has become a central topic in the Democratic primary debate for his seat.
The New RepublicMissing Republican Representative Tom Kean Jr. Sparks Concern Ahead of Critical Vote
Representative Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from Washington since March 5, missing 88 House votes and not seen for over 75 days. Neighbors in his Westfield, New Jersey hometown report his house has been dark for weeks, with his wife also missing. A lone truck sits outside covered in pollen. Kean belatedly told House Speaker Mike Johnson he was dealing with a 'personal health matter' nearly four weeks ago but has not returned. His absence is critical as Speaker Johnson advances a partisan budget reconciliation bill that can only afford two Republican defections. Kean's district has shifted from 'lean Republican' to a toss-up, and his absence has become a topic in Democratic primary debates. He is unchallenged in the June 2 Republican primary but faces a tough general election.
The New RepublicMissing Republican Representative Tom Kean Jr. Sparks Concern Ahead of Critical Vote
Representative Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from Washington since March 5, missing 88 House votes and not seen for over 75 days. Neighbors in his Westfield, New Jersey hometown report his house has been dark for weeks, with his wife also missing. A lone truck sits outside covered in pollen. Kean belatedly told House Speaker Mike Johnson he was dealing with a 'personal health matter' nearly four weeks ago but has not returned. His absence is critical as Speaker Johnson advances a partisan budget reconciliation bill that can only afford two Republican defections. Kean's district has shifted from 'lean Republican' to a toss-up, and his absence has become a topic in Democratic primary debates. He is unchallenged in the June 2 Republican primary but faces a tough general election.
The New RepublicMissing Republican Representative Tom Kean Jr. Sparks Concern Ahead of Critical Vote
Representative Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) has been absent from Washington since March 5, missing 88 House votes and not seen for over 75 days. Neighbors in his Westfield, New Jersey hometown report his house has been dark for weeks, with his wife also missing. A lone truck sits outside covered in pollen. Kean belatedly told House Speaker Mike Johnson he has a 'personal health matter' and promised to return soon, but nearly four weeks have passed. His absence is critical as Speaker Johnson advances a partisan budget reconciliation bill that can afford only two Republican defections. Kean's district has shifted from 'lean Republican' to a toss-up, and his absence has become a topic in Democratic primary debates. He is unchallenged in the June 2 Republican primary but faces a tough November reelection.
The New Republic