Tom Kean Jr. returns to Congress after four-month absence, discloses depression diagnosis and hospitalization

The speech on the House floor

Tom Kean Jr., a two‑term Republican congressman, reappeared at the U.S. Capitol on 30 June after having cast his last vote on 5 March. He told colleagues he had been in hospital receiving treatment for depression, a condition he described as both physical and emotional.

Several months ago, due to health concerns, I entered the hospital for some testing. I did not believe that this would result in a long‑term stay. I was given the diagnosis of depression.

Kean, 57, said he was a “private person by nature” and acknowledged that his doctors had recommended he remain hospitalised to recover quickly, though he had been hesitant. He had previously said on 21 May that he would return in a couple of weeks, but his office later pushed the timeline further out.

Political stakes in New Jersey’s 7th

Kean’s district is one of the most competitive in the country. It flipped from Democratic to Republican in 2022 and gave Donald Trump a narrow win in 2024, while Kean slightly outperformed the president. Democrats have named retired Navy helicopter pilot Rebecca Bennett as their nominee. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee placed her in its “Red to Blue” programme, signalling the party’s intent to pour resources into the race.

He’s missed some votes, but he’s still been working as he was able, as he explained. I think his constituents have been served throughout this process. We’re all human.

Medical experts on depression hospitalisation

Mental‑health specialists told The New York Times that hospitalisation is reserved for severe cases. Dr Mark Rapaport, president of the American Psychiatric Association, said patients are typically admitted when they experience suicidal thoughts, cannot care for themselves, or need a thorough diagnostic work‑up.

Folks don’t get hospitalized unless their depression is truly very, very severe.

About one in four U.S. adults has been diagnosed with depression at some point, and more than 8 percent report a major depressive episode in a given year. Annual hospitalisations for depressive disorder exceed 500 000.

Democratic reaction and stock‑trading controversy

Many Democrats offered personal sympathy while signalling they will not ease the electoral pressure. Retiring New Jersey congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman said she was “just glad that he’s healthy enough to be back” and declined to predict whether his absence would hurt him politically.

Rebecca Bennett issued a statement that mixed well‑wishes with pointed criticism.

I am relieved that Congressman Tom Kean Jr. is well and continue to wish him good health. Yet Tom Kean Jr. still somehow found time to trade stocks while missing votes.

News reports confirmed that Kean engaged in stock transactions during his absence, a fact his Democratic opponent framed as part of a “self‑serving culture in Washington”.

Mental‑health policy under the GOP

Kean reiterated his support for mental‑health care access in his floor speech. The stance arrives at a moment when elements of his party have moved against proven treatments. Rolling Stone reported that Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. explored banning certain antidepressants this spring, and Kean himself voted in July 2025 for the “Big Beautiful Bill” that stripped health coverage from millions of Americans. The contrast highlights the political tension around a condition that affects 48 million Americans currently under treatment, a number Kean invoked in his remarks.