Republicans hold a slim majority in the House of Representatives
The GOP can’t afford any defections.
And one Congresswoman vanished for weeks, and nobody would say why. He just spoke.
As American Patriot Daily reports:
Kean hadn’t cast a vote since March 5 and missed 50 roll call votes.
Kean also missed 20 percent of the votes between January and March 5.
In response to reporters’ inquiries, Kean’t staff said the Congressman was dealing with a “personal health matter.”
“The congressman is addressing a personal health matter,” a Kean spokesperson told the New Jersey Globe. “He will be returning to a full regular schedule soon.”
“Everyone understands from their own family experiences that people run into unexpected health issues,” Republican National Committee member and the Kean campaign’s attorney Bill Palatucci told Politico. “Voters will be completely sympathetic, and it’s so early in the year that it will be long forgotten come the fall.”
No one had heard from Kean.
Not even his fellow New Jersey Republican Congressman.
The Daily Caller reported that “New Jersey’s other two Republican Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew told Politico they had been calling and texting Kean out of concern, only to be met with ‘radio silence.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) revealed he had been in contact with Kean.
“I was happy to speak to Tom Kean, Jr. this afternoon by phone. He is attending to a personal health matter and expects to be back to 100% very soon,” a statement from Johnson read. “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.”
Kean finally spoke for himself and issued a statement announcing his intention to return to work once doctors gave him a clean bill of health.
“I want to thank my constituents and colleagues for their patience as I address a personal medical issue,” Kean’s statement read. “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.”
“I take my responsibilities seriously and have a strong record of showing up and delivering, which makes this absence all the more difficult,” Kean added. “I am especially proud of my congressional team, who have kept constituent services and legislative work moving forward without interruption, and my political team for ensuring the campaign continues to run strong.”
Republicans are breathing a sigh of relief that Kean will make a full recovery, mainly because they are thrilled their colleague will pull through.
But there is also the politics of the matter.
Kean holds a swing seat.
If Kean’s health forced him out of Congress, it would hand the Democrats a prime opportunity.
