House Republican Who Vanished for Months on Taxpayer’s Dime Voted Against Paid Sick Leave: Report

Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via AP Images

A New Jersey Congressman who mysteriously vanished from the job for four months due to depression has a history of voting against paid sick leave, according to a report Wednesday in The Lever.

U.S. Rep Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) missed more than 100 votes during his absence, which began in March. His staff offered little explanation despite increasing public scrutiny.

While serving as a state senator in New Jersey, where his father once served as governor, Kean voted against paid sick leave twice, according to the outlet.

In 2008, Kean voted against a bill to extend paid parental and family leave to workers for up to six weeks, and in 2018, he voted against a law that would have forced employers to give up to 40 hours of paid time off for illness, The Lever found.

Despite the politician’s long disappearance from public view, he won a primary and raised more than $160,000 for re-election.

Reps for Kean could not immediately be reached for comment.

Kean, 57, returned to the House floor Tuesday to explain his lengthy absence, saying he decided to follow doctor’s orders:

“This is not an easy speech for me to give,” he said. “I am a private person by nature, and I have spent most of my life talking about the people that I represent, the issues facing our communities, and the work that continues to be done. Talking about myself has never come naturally, but I believe that I owe an explanation to the people of New Jersey’s 7th District, to my colleagues in this chamber, and to American people for my absence.”

Kean said he initially entered the hospital for medical testing and did not expect an extended stay before receiving “the diagnosis of depression.”

“Now, when people hear the word depression, many people think simply means feeling sad,” he said. “But depression is so much more than that. It is physical. It is emotional. And until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”

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