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“Kean’s immediate priority shouldn’t be closed-door fundraisers with wealthy donors. It should be the people he was elected to serve.”
New Jerseyans are calling out Congressman Tom Kean Jr. for his health care hypocrisy.
In a blistering column published on NJ.com, a New Jersey voter calls out Kean Jr. for “[failing] to acknowledge that his votes have made it much harder for many New Jerseyans to get the type of treatment he had access to.”
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Our best wishes go out to Congressman Tom Kean Jr. following his disclosure of his struggles with depression. Mental illness can be a heavy, isolating, ongoing burden, and we’re thankful Kean took the time to get the treatment he needs.
We hope he now better understands the health crises too many New Jerseyans face. These crises have been made worse by the votes he’s taken, and we urge him to help undo the damage he’s done.
Kean vanished from Congress for nearly four months to seek treatment with barely an explanation. We all understand the desire for privacy, but he’s an elected lawmaker accountable to nearly 800,000 people in Congressional District 7, and his votes affect the lives of millions throughout our country.
What’s worse than his lack of transparency is his failure to acknowledge that his votes have made it much harder for many New Jerseyans to get the type of treatment he had access to.
Kean, along with fellow New Jersey GOP representatives Jeff Van Drew and Chris Smith, voted last year for President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” gutting Medicaid and allowing Affordable Care Act tax credits to expire.
He voted for work requirements for Medicaid recipients with health conditions, including many people struggling with mental health conditions similar to his.
These votes have endangered health care and services for millions. Nearly 70,000 New Jerseyans have been forced off their health insurance since then. Untold numbers more are settling for less robust coverage as premium costs surge or are contemplating a future in which they may lose their benefits altogether.
Many New Jerseyans live paycheck to paycheck. They can’t afford to do what Kean did and take four months off for a medical issue. They worry about keeping health insurance for themselves and their families. They worry about getting time off and paperwork approved when they need extended leave.
Kean’s votes have only added to those worries.
Kean has never been very sympathetic to New Jerseyans’ health needs. As a state legislator, he voted consistently against paid leave for nearly two decades, including New Jersey’s landmark Earned Sick Days and Paid Family Leave laws. He also voted against creating the Get Covered New Jersey Affordable Care Act marketplace.
This perhaps comes as no surprise. Kean’s net worth is estimated to be close to $14 million, and he has access to treatments and resources many can only dream of.
We hope Congressman Kean’s recent experiences have connected him more closely to his constituents and his fellow New Jerseyans.
With his return, Kean’s immediate priority shouldn’t be closed-door fundraisers with wealthy donors. It should be the people he was elected to serve.
We urge Kean to immediately schedule an open public town hall meeting that includes a discussion of our health care crisis.
He should tell his constituents how he plans to work with other lawmakers to undo the damage he’s done and to ensure our health care system works for everyone.
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