Return of New Jersey Congressman Tom Keene Jr.
New Jersey Republican Rep. Tom Keene Jr. is set to return to Congress on June 30, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Keene has been absent for over three months due to a medical issue, though the specifics of his condition haven’t been disclosed. His spokesman, Harrison Neely, noted that Keene is looking forward to rejoining his colleagues and getting back into his routine by the end of June.
“Congressman Keene is eager to return to office and resume his full schedule on June 30th,” Neely shared.
His last vote was on March 5, and since then, he has missed all roll call votes in the House. He also skipped about 20% of voting from January through March. Despite this, Keene is still pursuing re-election in New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, where he is up against Democratic candidate Rebecca Bennett.
The district, recently redistricted, is expected to be more favorable to Republicans in 2022, although it might still lean slightly toward Democrats when it comes to voter registration.
During his absence, Keene has engaged in stock trading, with financial records indicating he bought and sold shares in eight companies, including Johnson & Johnson and Chubb Ltd., between March 10 and March 31. The total value of these transactions ranged from $50,000 to $190,000.
Additionally, it appears that at least one New Jersey lawmaker has endorsed a travel approval for Chief of Staff Daniel J. Scharfenberger during Keene’s absence.
President Donald Trump voiced his support for Keene and other absent members on June 2, asserting that they are “working tirelessly” to further the Republican agenda.
“Tom works tirelessly to secure our borders, stop immigrant crime, grow our economy, reduce taxes and regulations…,” Trump mentioned in a post.
In a conversation with the New Jersey Globe in May, Keene expressed optimism for his recovery and indicated he would return to the Capitol soon for voting. Further details about his health and plans are expected to emerge later.
While many colleagues have expressed concern over his lack of communication, Keene was said to have had a positive interaction with state Republican leaders in May, and they reported that he seemed to be doing well.
