Rep.Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., plans to return to Capitol Hill on June 30 after missing more than 100 votes during a nearly four-month absence from Washington.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Kean’s chief of staff, Dan Scharfenberger, confirmed to NBC News on Thursday the date of Kean’s planned return.
The New Jersey Globe first reported the news.Kean’s office previously said that the congressman’s absence was due to a “personal medical issue” but has not disclosed any further details on his condition.Kean last voted in the Capitol on March 5, but his office has kept active on social media while he’s stayed out of the public eye.The congressman is running for re-election and will face off with Democrat Rebecca Bennett, a former Navy helicopter pilot and healthcare executive, in November.President Donald Trump, who has endorsed the New Jersey Republican, reiterated his support for Kean with a Truth Social post on June 1.Trump wrote that Kean was “working tirelessly” and has his “Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election.”House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters last month that he spoke with Kean in April and downplayed the impact of his absence on Kean’s re-election campaign.“He’s had a medical issue, and he’s going to be fully transparent and disclose all that ...but I don’t even know the details.
It’s a member’s personal privacy on whatever matters they’re dealing with,” Johnson told reporters in May.“He’s going to get re-elected, and we look forward to welcoming him back here very soon.”Johnson told reporters last week that he “encouraged Tom to be transparent” about his condition.ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleKyle StewartKyle Stewart is a producer and off-air reporter covering Congress for NBC News, managing coverage of the House.Kyla GuilfoilKyla Guilfoil is a breaking news reporter on the politics team for NBC News Digital....