Republican lawmaker who’s been MIA for over a month lastly speaks out about prolonged and continued absence | EUROtoday

A Republican lawmaker who has been lacking from Congress for greater than a month has lastly damaged his silence in regards to the absence.

New Jersey consultant Tom Kean Jr., 57, had missed greater than 50 roll name votes since March 17 with none clarification to his constituents, his colleagues, or the American public.

Other New Jersey Republicans stated their outreach had met “radio silence”, whereas his workers solely stated he was coping with unspecified well being issues.

But on Monday, Kean — who’s dealing with a troublesome reelection bid in November — posted a message in his personal voice on social media thanking folks for his or her “patience” as he addressed a “personal medical issue.”

“My doctors continue to assure me that my recovery will be complete, and that I will be back to the job I love very soon. I expect to return to a full schedule and be at 100 percent,” Kean stated on X.

“I take my responsibilities seriously and have a strong record of showing up and delivering, which makes this absence all the more difficult…

“I additionally wish to thank my buddies and colleagues on either side of the aisle for his or her persistence and understanding throughout this time. I admire your help and stay up for being again within the close to future.”

Yet Kean’s post offered little concrete information beyond what his staff had already said weeks earlier, giving no further details of the health issue nor any timeline for his return.

Kean’s district is expected to be the most competitive congressional race in New Jersey in this year’s midterm elections, covering a large patch of the Garden State’s affluent northwest including the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster.

He is running for reelection against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s plans to open an immigration detention facility in the district, prompting protests from the public.

Kean wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin on April 7 about the plans and asked the department to “take a deeper look and give careful consideration to the concerns raised by local officials.”

Both Democrats and Republicans struggled to hear back from Kean, with one Nebraska GOP representative saying he didn’t even realize Kean had been gone so long until he tried and failed to find him on the House floor last week.

“It’s been an extended absence,” New Jersey Democrat Rob Menendez told Politico. “I hope he’s doing all proper. But I haven’t heard something.”

Nevertheless, Kean’s absence did not prevent him from buying and selling shares on the stock market, according to a report by the D.C. news site NOTUS.

A spokesperson said his personal investments were in a “blind construction”, however gave no additional particulars.