NOW PLAYING
Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres (N.Y.) on Tuesday said he sympathizes with Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s (R-N.J.) depression but urged him to be more transparent regarding any long-term absences moving forward.
“As someone who has lived with depression, I have deep sympathy for anyone struggling with mental illness. I might not be alive today were it not for a prolonged hospitalization and proper medication. I know the value of taking a medical leave firsthand,” Torres wrote in a post on X.
“At the same time, public office carries a duty of transparency. When a public official is absent for an extended period, the public has a right to an honest explanation,” he added.
His remarks come after Kean’s House floor speech, where he addressed the reasoning for his unexpected absence, which caused him to miss 135 votes.
“When I first informed the public that I was dealing with a medical issue, I was still trying to understand what was happening myself, when I said I hoped to return in a matter of weeks, I believed it,” Kean said on the House floor on Tuesday, explaining that he was hospitalized for treatment.
“But as the over 48 million of my fellow Americans being treated for this illness have come to discover, there is no timeline for healing. There is no timeline for recovery. Only the work of getting better one day at a time,” he added.
The New Jersey lawmaker didn’t make public appearances in his district or in Washington, D.C. during the duration of his absence, raising concern for his whereabouts.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he was informed of Kean’s condition earlier this month and on Tuesday said he would have also encouraged the lawmaker to be transparent about his medical condition moving forward.
“If it were me I would have been more specific about that. … It’s not an uncommon kind of condition and ailment that he’s been fighting, and I think people resonate with that. I think he’ll get a lot of empathy, because it’s something that’s very, very common,” Johnson said during a Wednesday press conference.
Kean’s return coincides with his campaign for another term.
In a post on X, Torres urged the New Jersey lawmaker to be open about future medical needs as they arise, noting that the public can be forgiving.
“Transparency deepens the public’s empathy, whereas secrecy breeds suspicion. When in doubt, err on the side of transparency,” Torres wrote.
“Tell the truth, and tell it early. The public is often most forgiving of those who level with them,” he added.
Add as preferred source on Google Tags lawmaker absence Mike Johnson Rep. Ritchie Torres Rep. Tom Kean Jr. Ritchie Torres Tom Kean Jr.Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Comments: Link copiedMore House News
See All
House GOP’s Lawler: ‘Birth tourism’ not an issue for ‘executive fiat or judicial activism’ by Ryan Mancini 5 minutes ago House / 5 minutes ago 
