1 month ago
A susceptible Republican congressman who has not voted successful weeks “is attending to a individual wellness matter,” nan speaker of nan House, Mike Johnson, said connected Friday arsenic he struggles to support his historically mini mostly successful Congress’s little chamber.
Tom Kean Jr’s New Jersey territory is simply a apical pickup target for Democrats successful nan November midterms, but nan congressman has not formed a ballot successful nan House since 5 March.
In a statement, Johnson said he had spoken to Kean, 57, connected Thursday by phone, and said “he is attending to a individual wellness matter and expects to beryllium backmost to 100% very soon. Tom is 1 of nan astir dedicated and hardest-working members of Congress, and I americium grateful for each he does and will proceed to do to service New Jerseyans and our country.”
Harrison Neely, a spokesperson for Kean’s campaign, said: “The congressman is handling a individual wellness matter. He will beryllium 100% patient and backmost to a afloat schedule soon.” He did not respond to circumstantial questions astir Kean’s wellness and erstwhile he stopped working.
Kean’s absence is nan latest complication for nan historically mini Republican mostly successful nan House, which has been rocked by a spate of resignations and deaths by lawmakers of some parties.
This month, Democrat Eric Swalwell of California resigned amid allegations of intersexual assault, and Republican Tony Gonzales of Texas followed suit aft admitting to an matter pinch an adjutant who later took her ain life.
A week later, Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida resigned up of a imaginable expulsion ballot aft she was indicted connected charges related to allegedly misusing $5m successful national disaster alleviation funds.
Two much seats are vacant aft nan deaths of California Republican Doug LaMalfa and Georgia Democrat David Scott this week.
The Republican mostly stands astatine 217 seats positive 1 independent who caucuses pinch them, to nan Democrats’ 212 seats. The 5 vacancies tin nevertheless create attendance challenges for Johnson connected statement formation votes successful nan chamber, which is successful nan midst of prolonged negotiations complete issues specified arsenic funding for nan Department of Homeland Security and a contentious surveillance law.
A personnel of a salient New Jersey governmental family whose begetter served arsenic politician and grandfather was a longtime congressman, Kean hit Democrat Tom Malinowski successful 2022 to triumph a spot representing a territory successful nan state’s north-west corner, connected nan Pennsylvania border.
Kean won re-election successful 2024 arsenic Donald Trump carried his territory by a constrictive 50%. But pinch polls showing Democratic candidates gaining successful fame nationwide, Kean is viewed arsenic nan astir susceptible Republican congressman successful New Jersey, and leftwing groups person announced six-figure advertisement buys intended to person voters to unseat him.
