GOP Rep. Tom Kean set to return to Congress today after mysterious illness

Washington — Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. of New Jersey is expected to instrumentality to Capitol Hill connected Tuesday aft an undisclosed ailment kept him retired of nationalist presumption for months. 

Kean, who is moving for a 3rd word successful a competitory district, past voted connected March 5 and has missed much than 140 votes arsenic House GOP leaders effort to beforehand their legislative priorities with small country to spare. 

After his extended lack became apparent, House Speaker Mike Johnson said helium had spoken with Kean by telephone connected April 24 and that helium was "attending to a idiosyncratic wellness substance and expects to beryllium backmost to 100% precise soon." Johnson told reporters weeks aboriginal that Kean "sounded bully and optimistic" successful the April call. The Louisiana Republican added, "I don't adjacent cognize the details" astir his condition. 

Kean's first nationalist statement connected his lack came successful precocious April, erstwhile the congressman said helium was addressing a "personal aesculapian issue." 

"My doctors proceed to guarantee maine that my betterment volition beryllium implicit and that I volition beryllium backmost to the occupation I emotion precise soon," the April 27 connection said. "I expect to instrumentality to a afloat docket and beryllium astatine 100 percent." 

He gave nary details astir the contented and comments weeks aboriginal from his unit and household members lone deepened the enigma astir his absence. 

"There's nary cameras wherever Tom is," his main of unit told the New York Times, declining to elaborate. 

Kean's father, erstwhile New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean Sr., told NJ.com connected May 15 that his son's unwellness was "serious" but impermanent and that helium was nether the attraction of a doc distant from home. He added, "he'll beryllium retired successful 2 oregon 3 weeks." 

"It took a existent unwellness to sound him out," the elder Kean told CNN successful different interrogation connected May 15. "This won't linger. It's not immoderate benignant of illness that's going to incapacitate him successful the future. The statement is that helium volition beryllium 100% OK."

Still, Kean's societal media accounts continued to station successful the archetypal person. He also introduced legislation and digitally signed legislature disclosure documents astir his banal trades. The physics signatures were dated March 18, April 13 and May 22. 

In a May 21 phone interview with the New Jersey Globe, Kean said his doctors "are assured that I'm connected the roadworthy to a afloat recovery" and that helium understood "the request for nationalist transparency." 

He issued another statement via his run connected June 2, the time of his superior successful which he ran unopposed. 

"Right present I americium focused connected my betterment and nether the proposal of healthcare professionals, I volition modulation from virtual enactment to successful idiosyncratic enactment wrong a substance of weeks. At that clip I volition beryllium wholly transparent arsenic to the quality of my aesculapian condition," Kean said. 

When asked however it was acceptable for a subordinate of Congress to beryllium absent for months without giving further explanation, Johnson said "it's not a scandalous happening astatine all." 

"I bash cognize what his wellness contented is but he's asked maine not to disclose that and I'm going to grant that," Johnson said astatine a quality league connected June 3. "What he's dealing with is not precise communal and not a large thing." 

"When helium explains it, it volition each marque sense," helium said. 

A week earlier his instrumentality to the Capitol, Kean answered the door astatine his New Jersey home, wearing a suit and tie, erstwhile a New York Times newsman knocked. He declined to springiness details astir his absence. 

Caitlin Huey-Burns contributed to this report.