New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean returns to Congress after mysterious absence

Geoff Bennett:

Well, after months of speculation, the mystery surrounding a New Jersey congressman's absence is finally over. This morning, Republican Tom Kean Jr. addressed the House, saying he owed his constituents, his colleagues, and the American people an explanation.

Rep. Tom Kean (R-NJ):

I was given the diagnosis of depression. Now, when people hear the word depression, many people think it simply means feeling sad. 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.

Geoff Bennett:

That's as other drama unfolded in the House as well. The chamber ground to a complete halt over an internal Republican divide. Our Lisa Desjardins here to explain. She was in the chamber today, including for the congressman's speech.

So what more did Congressman Kean have to say, Lisa?

Lisa Desjardins:

It was a short speech, but he also addressed this question of why he waited so long to talk about this. He said that at first, when he went to a doctor, he was surprised that the doctor recommended that he be hospitalized.

Then, after he was hospitalized, he thought he would only be there for weeks. Obviously, it lasted much longer. Now, Kean has been gone or was gone for almost four months, though, Geoff. So, in contrast, in terms of handling this, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania also was hospitalized for depression back in 2023.

He publicly disclosed that the next day after he was hospitalized. So there are still questions about why exactly he waited so long to explain this.

Our Kyle Midura caught up with the congressman today to ask about his pledge of transparency.

Kyle Midura:

Does this experience changed how you think about access to health care, mental health services more generally? Oops. Sorry.

When you committed to full transparency, was the extent of that always going to be one floor speech? Are you going to open up at some point take questions?

Lisa Desjardins:

Now, Kean rarely talks with reporters, and, as you see there, he did not answer any questions, so it's not really clear if he is going to say more about this.

Geoff Bennett:

And how is this being received on the Hill?

Lisa Desjardins:

Right. It's amazing. I talked to Democrats and Republicans about this, more than a dozen, and overall they have sympathy for him. They're glad he's back. They're glad that he says that he's recovering.

But there is this idea that perhaps members are not paying enough attention to their own personal health and to each other. There is some consternation over how long he was gone and the lack of explanation. As for his own personal political future, he insists he is fully committed to running for reelection, but his district, Geoff, is one that Democrats are targeting.

They would like to flip it. I don't think they will target his diagnosis, but his lack of explanation could be a target.

Geoff Bennett:

Meantime, as we said, the House ground to a halt today over President Trump's SAVE America Act, his desired elections bill. So what happened and what does it all mean?

Lisa Desjardins:

All right, let's unpack this and try and do it without hurting our brains, because many members of Congress actually themselves don't quite understand what's happening there.

As I just left the Capitol, members of Congress are flying out back home, ending their workweek in Washington on a Tuesday. All of this, as you said, is about the SAVE America Act, more or less, and about hard-liner Republicans who want to take a stand in the House to try and force the Senate to push it.

This bill isn't going anywhere in the Senate. As you said, it's about election and I.D. requirements. However, these hard-liners today were trying to be aggressive with Senate -- with Speaker Mike Johnson.

Let me talk a little bit about that more aggressive action and what he did to appease them. House leaders proposed attaching the SAVE America Act to a must-pass defense bill known as the NDAA. But these 14 hard-line Republicans just a few hours ago broke ranks, rejected this idea. This was a way for them to get a vote on the SAVE Act.

They said it's not good enough. And thanks to the close margin margins, those 14 Republicans were able to shut down the floor, effectively blocking almost all legislation. Now, it's an interesting tactic I have never seen used before, where one chamber is shutting itself down in order to pressure the other chamber.

Senators, I don't think, are feeling that pressure. I talked to Chip Roy, who's one of the hard-liners, and he gave one of the most clear explanations for what he thinks is happening.

Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX):

You only have certain leverage points. And this town works on leverage points, nothing else. I mean, it's going to be very clear. If you don't use the leverage points, they're going to roll over you.

Lisa Desjardins:

But for many other Republicans, this is actually too much. This is a tantrum, they think, and it's inexplicable, even a nightmare.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE):

Why are we punishing ourselves and making us look bad for -- because we're not happy with the Senate? And it doesn't make sense. But it's low-I.Q. thinking.

Lisa Desjardins:

Now, for Democrats, this feeds their message that Republicans add to chaos. But, for some, they -- Brendan Boyle, who I spoke with, said this isn't just a sideshow. This actually does matter.

Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA):

Obviously, it's a mess. It's personally very frustrating, as someone who wants to get something done. And it leaves us at a standstill, to the point in which we literally can't call up legislation on anything else until this gets resolved.

Lisa Desjardins:

The House will not be back in session again until July 13.

Geoff Bennett:

So these members are taking a two-week break, although I know members of Congress always push back on that, because they say they're working in district.

Lisa Desjardins:

Yes. Yes.

Geoff Bennett:

Yet there's so much for them to do here. There's so much work for them left here in D.C.

Lisa Desjardins:

Right. That's right, funding of government, the defense bill, all of the issues this country's facing. Right now, they're going home.

Geoff Bennett:

Lisa Desjardins, thanks, as always.

Lisa Desjardins:

You're welcome.