Rep. Tom Kean Jr. will miss another week of House votes as Republicans struggle to manage their razor-thin majority while the New Jersey congressman remains sidelined by a still-undisclosed health issue.
Kean, 57, has not cast a vote in the House since March 5 and has now missed 70 consecutive roll-call votes, according to congressional tracking data. His office confirmed Monday that the two-term Republican will again be absent from Washington this week.
“Congressman Kean is still attending to a personal health matter, and we appreciate the outpouring of support,” Kean’s chief of staff, Dan Scharfenberger, said in a statement. “He will be returning to a regular full schedule soon.”
The extended absence has created headaches for House Speaker Mike Johnson as Republicans attempt to move key legislation through the narrowly divided chamber. The GOP currently holds only a slim edge in the House, leaving little room for defections or absences on party-line votes.
Johnson previously said he spoke directly with Kean and expects the congressman to recover fully.
Credit: Office of Congressman Tom Kean Jr.
“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,” Johnson said.
Kean has not publicly disclosed the nature of the medical issue. Concerns about his condition intensified in recent weeks as fellow lawmakers acknowledged they had struggled to reach him during his absence.
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The timing is politically significant for Republicans.
Kean represents one of the nation’s most competitive swing districts in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District. Democrats are aggressively targeting the seat ahead of the 2026 midterms, and four Democrats are currently competing in a crowded primary to challenge him. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a “toss-up.”
Despite his absence from Capitol Hill, Kean’s office has continued posting legislative updates on social media and says constituent services remain uninterrupted.
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