Boebert: Kean explanation for absence ‘embarrassing’

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) on Monday criticized fellow GOP Rep. Tom Kean Jr. for his four-month absence from Congress after the New Jersey lawmaker returned to the Capitol.

“I think it’s embarrassing,” Boebert told TMZ on Capitol Hill.

Earlier in the day, Kean returned to the House floor for the first time since early March — after missing more than 100 votes. In explaining the reason for his disappearance, the Garden State Republican said he was hospitalized for depression.

While Boebert said Monday it is important for her colleague to “take care” of himself and “get healthy,” she wondered “who gets to take four months off of work because they’re sad?”

She added, “Whatever the reasons may be, it’s embarrassing. I don’t care what party you’re a part of, it’s not OK.”

The conservative firebrand also elected not to endorse Kean, saying she believes in “proper representation” despite her preference for Republicans to keep their House majority.

The New Jersey lawmaker is in a difficult reelection battle against Democrat Rebecca Bennett, in a race the nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates as a “toss-up.”

During a speech on Tuesday morning, Kean said doctors diagnosed him with severe depression and recommended he remain in the hospital to address the illness. The lawmaker added he was “grateful” he heeded their advice, noting he is now “healthier, stronger, and excited to return to the work I love.”

A Gallup survey from last year found that 18.3 percent of respondents said they were either being treated or were treated for depression, equating to an estimated 47.8 million Americans. The percentage of those dealing with or having dealt with depression increased by nearly 6 points since 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness or emptiness, angry outbursts, sleep disturbances, tiredness, reduced appetite and weight loss and unexplained physical problems, such as back pain or headaches, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“When people hear the word ‘depression,’ many think it simply means feeling sad,” Kean said Monday. “But depression is so much more than that. It is physical. It is emotional. Until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.”

During his absence from Congress and the campaign trail, Kean and his team provided vague explanations for why he was not in public. Upon his return Monday, multiple lawmakers on both sides of the aisle showed support for their colleague — but also stressed the need for transparency.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), who said he has dealt with depression, noted he has “deep sympathy” for Kean and knows the “value of taking a medical leave” from work.

“At the same time, public office carries a duty of transparency,” Torres wrote on the social platform X. “When a public official is absent for an extended period, the public has a right to an honest explanation.”

“Transparency deepens the public’s empathy, whereas secrecy breeds suspicion. When in doubt, err on the side of transparency. Tell the truth, and tell it early,” he continued. “The public is often most forgiving of those who level with them.”

Boebert went further, saying Kean disappearing from Congress for months equated to “taxation without representation” for his constituents.

“We were elected to be here to work, and it’s unacceptable,” she added.