June 30, 2026
Mystery Revealed: NJ Congressman MIA To Treat Depression
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RSS Feed As promised, New Jersey Congressman Tom Kean Jr. delivered a speech on the House floor to explain missing 140 votes and 4 months of work. Kean said he was diagnosed with depression and upon advice of his doctors, he remained in the hospital for treatment to battle the disease. And while most were sympathetic and wished him well, many also took issue with his message which they say was tone-deaf and wreaked of privilege.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Tuesday, June thirtieth, and as promised, the mystery of the missing congressman has been solved. After four months of not being seen in public, New Jersey congressman showed back up on the house floor and explained why he's been gone. Some people didn't appreciate his explanation, and with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. We're talking about Tom Kane Junior. Hasn't been to work since March. Showed up at work today.
00:00:28
Speaker 2: Yes, he missed one hundred and forty votes in total, missed four months of work, offered zero explanation other than a I guess he said an unexplained or an unspecified I believe was the word? An unspecified medical condition? Well, he stood on the house floor and explained to his colleagues that he was diagnosed with depression.
00:00:51
Speaker 1: What was your reaction to that? I was waiting on a more of a build up. Quite frankly, given all the mystery that was surrounding this, he didn't want to be seen publicly, even seen. Didn't say a word. What did you make when you heard depression?
00:01:05
Speaker 2: I was shocked, I was too baby, look I am and I think anyone can. I feel like in this day and age, most people respect that mental illness is absolutely a disease.
00:01:21
Speaker 3: It can be a fatal.
00:01:22
Speaker 2: Disease, and it deserves the attention and the respect of any other disease, and it hasn't for historically speaking. So I understand the importance of sharing a story of discussing mental health issues, but I think this was a little tone deaf on his part in this sense that here you have a wealthy, prominent, powerful member of Congress who comes from a family of means and power, and to explain to the American people now form months later and your colleagues that you have been in a treatment facility being treated for depression. I think anyone would applaud someone who has means to do that, but then to do it on the taxpayer dollar, to continue to collect your salary, to offer zero explanation to your constituents while you're going through it, and then to expect people to I kind of think applaud him for his heroism for speaking out and speaking up is a little tough for a lot of folks who can't imagine being able to have the luxury of doing all of the things he has just done.
00:02:38
Speaker 1: Hey, we're going to let you hear from him himself. He made a short, a very brief statement, a speech on the House floor win less than five minutes. But the reason nobody's going to criticize anyone for taking time off and taking care of themselves. The problem here is that he never said a word about what's going on. Now. This went beyond I need to take some time off. He said, I need to take some time and I'm not going to tell you why. I'm not going to give you a hint. Why you're not gonna hear from me. You're not going to see my face. I'm going to disappear, and then when I come back, this is all you're gonna get. Now, Robes, we are supposed to and I think everyone who has responded has done this quite delicately, even his political opponent, that we will share that statement. You have to Robes depression. It is serious and it leads to deaths. It does. As you mentioned, we don't know how serious this was, but for him to say, Robes, he went to a hospital for some testing, is what he said, and then they told him not to leave the hospital. Robes, that is a big mystery, what testing was being done, what did he go in for, and why is it that they notice something so alarming during testing that they said you should check yourself into a hospital. And we ain't heard from you in four months, Robes, Okay, we're trying to leave space. We're trying to leave space. We don't know how bad off he was. We don't know, oh how serious it got, how life threatening it possibly even got so robe. When you say that, we have to just in one respect, honor that, applaud that, and be grateful that he's okay. That's part one. I think everybody's on the same page there.
00:04:16
Speaker 3: Everybody would agree with that without question.
00:04:19
Speaker 2: That is absolutely fair and important to acknowledge that everyone was wishing for his speedy recovery. Everyone hopes that he has the help he needs, He's gotten the tools he was looking for, all of those things. No one wishes him anything but continued.
00:04:42
Speaker 3: Health and success.
00:04:44
Speaker 2: However, there are a lot of questions, and some of what he said created more questions on top of the questions that were already there, and some.
00:04:57
Speaker 1: Of what he said it created some frustration, some anger, and some criticism going his way because it was and it's difficult to say any other way.
00:05:05
Speaker 2: It was.
00:05:06
Speaker 1: It was bizarrely tone deaf. It was you expressed. And the problem is not Robes. I mean, you do applaud somebody for getting help. The issue is that you need to help other people have access to the same help you did.
00:05:21
Speaker 3: Ding ding ding ding ding, And so.
00:05:23
Speaker 1: Robes were running into a situation. There is a single mother in Memphis, Tennessee right now that I assure you could use four months off paid leave right now.
00:05:34
Speaker 3: Babe, you just nailed it. And that is it.
00:05:36
Speaker 2: And if you look at some people are already pointing to his voting history when it comes to healthcare and in this country, look, you and I experienced. I experienced insurance issues that I had never ever experienced before when we were fired from our jobs, and once Cobra went through, I still struggle as a cancer survivor getting access to physicians. And I am paying a ton of money and thankfully I can afford that each month, but I still don't have the same access. You and I couldn't take four months off of our jobs to take care of our mental health and to act as if we're all supposed to applaud and support that when pretty much. I would say the vast majority of folks would never be able to even consider that and wouldn't have the luxury, the options, or even like the access to any of that.
00:06:30
Speaker 1: He is encouraging others to do this, robes, take care of yourself. If I help one person, That's what he said, right, If my story coming forward helps one person, that just people do not have the time or the money to take the time he had it was, he had months to work on this, and your heart goes out to him for whatever he went through with his family. I'm not suggesting it wasn't hard, baby, but he did have an opportunity here. He did have an opportunity to move the conversation forward in a different way about how he's going to help. And it's a damn shame that everybody can't do what I just did.
00:07:11
Speaker 3: If he had done that, he didn't.
00:07:13
Speaker 1: Acknowledge that what he got was exceptional based on who he is, where he works, in the money his family has that he lost to me, I was ready to like, I can't wait to hear and we're all going to understand why bring him back is going to be a great story. Man. He slapped the hell out of a lot of people with his comments, Baby.
00:07:34
Speaker 2: You just nailed it because he missed an unbelievable opportunity. How many people in this country are suffering from depression, severe depression. How many people of those folks have quality health care, have access to the same type of treatment, and have the ability to not work for four months. I'm going to go with almost no one. So yeah, you could say I'm going to make changes, I'm going to change how I vote. I am going to make this my number one priority that everyone in this country has access to mental health professionals, no matter who you are, where you work. This is an epidemic, and I'm going to be the agent of change based on my personal experience. Instead, he wanted us to understand how hard it was for him to speak out because he's such a private person.
00:08:19
Speaker 3: We understood how private he was in the last four months.
00:08:21
Speaker 2: For sure, that was notable, But it was almost as if he all, look and I get it, he's living in his own bubble and he's speaking through the lens that he just walked through this tough time and we're not taking that away from him. Of course, I'm sure it was an unbelievable and perhaps even life threatening situation. But to not have the greater perspective of who you are, the weight of your words, and the opportunity you had to acknowledge that big, significant changes need to take place in this country so everyone could have the same chance he's gotten to improve his life.
00:08:56
Speaker 1: Let's let you take a listen to him. This is only a portion of him today. This is again Representative Tom Caine Junior on the floor of the House today, re emerging again. This is the first time in four months he has been to work.
00:09:09
Speaker 4: We're talking about myself has never come naturally, But I believe that I owe an explanation to the people of New Jersey's seventh District, to my colleagues in this chamber, and to the American people for my absence. Several months ago, due to health concerns, I entered the hospital for some testing. I did not believe that this would result in a long term stay. I was given the diagnosis of depression. Now, when people hear the word depression, many people think 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. The doctors recommended that I've remain in the hospital to address my illness. They explained to me that this would be the fastest way to recovery. And to be honest, I was hesitant. I didn't think that I had time for it. I had responsibility to my family, I had responsibilities to my constituents, I had responsibilities to this institution, and like many people, I believed that I could simply push through.
00:10:25
Speaker 1: Where do you want to start? Uh? I want Robes? I went in for testing. The doctors recommended, after they die me with depression, that the best corps of action is for you to stay here for treatment and recovery. Ropes, how serious of a condition did he have? How bad off was he? He did mention at some point that this was something maybe he didn't realize he'd been dealing with over years. But Robes, at the point that we need to we need to put you in the hospital. I mean, that's sound really sounds very serious. Serious, It sounds very serious.
00:11:04
Speaker 2: And look, I can understand perhaps why he's even hesitant, because if it was that serious that you actually had to be hospitalized for that extended period of time. The question is you're now asking New Jersey voters to keep you in office. And I just think there needs to be more explanation as to what the path forward is. How is it that he's recovered, what has he done? What is he doing? And I think people need to understand that in order to be able to build back the trust that he will show up to work, that he will continue to work for the people, because I do think we kept getting these comments and statements from either staff members or through him that he was still serving the people of the seventh District of New Jersey, and I just find that hard to imagine that he was actually able to do that.
00:11:57
Speaker 1: Is this a transparency, right? He thinks he just nailed it and he told everybody what's going on. And now he's going to be talked about He's going to do a lot of interviews. Probably he'll probably talk about mental health. Is he going to push legislation? Who knows what he's going to do robes, but transparency? Is it? Is this sufficient? Is this sufficient transparency? I guess that's up you know, no matter what that's up to the voters in his district, And nobody else, But is this enough? Did he give enough? And it's again it's it's two different sides of this robes, the one side having to do with mental health care and the other side ropes having to do with his responsibility to his constituents no matter what's going on with you. Did they did? Were they owed more? So that's two different conversations kind of that are are being had. Did they deserve more? And during this whole process, and do we all now deserve more than he is giving us in this conversation which is now tone deaf. And the guy who emerged as right, he could be a spokesperson to a certain degree, He could go out there and really be an advocate for mental health and it just doesn't seem like Rose he's up to the task based on what he said today.
00:13:15
Speaker 2: Correct And look, look, I know X and I know social media is it tends to have extreme reaction to things, but there is a very consistent drumbeat where you just see comment after comment after comment on his post from folks who were all saying the same thing. And I've got one that kind of sums it up, but they said, shocking display of entitlement, disappearing with no explanation, but able to trade stocks, unable to place a call for explanations, less even for attending to Congress, denying you as healthcare but benefiting from the best and keeping.
00:13:51
Speaker 3: Your salary rather outrageous.
00:13:53
Speaker 2: I mean, there are different versions of this, but people are also saying, and I hope you take into consideration what you've just been through the next time you vote on a healthcare bill. They're talking about the millions of Americans who have lost access to their healthcare.
00:14:09
Speaker 3: Who's helping them, not you.
00:14:11
Speaker 2: So look, he's now taking this stand based on a personal experience that sounds deeply personal and sounds like it's been very impactful. Is this going to impact him in terms of how he feels about making sure he's responsible for the people he represents in terms of their access to quality healthcare.
00:14:31
Speaker 1: Encouraged others to do so if me bringing my story forward helps one person to seek help, but one person to save and to go out and get help. So he took four months off. I don't understand. I don't know there's a tone deafness here that was a little staggering. But like you said, you've been reading some comments. It's not just us but stay here, we're actually going to share with you what his opponent and the upcoming election had to say. And also we found one comment from a New York congressman that we thought was well done no one else who's also dealt with depression. But it made some comments as well that really kind of brought it home state.
00:15:06
Speaker 2: And welcome back everyone to this episode of Amy and TJ. We finally did get an explanation from New Jersey Congressman Tom Kine Junior, who showed up after literally disappearing physically and even just in any way, shape or form from Congress from his duty as the representative of the seventh district there in New Jersey. He missed one hundred and forty votes, missed four months of work, and notably refused to give an explanation to anyone other than an obscure medical condition. So he finally takes to the floor of the house and says he is suffering from depression. He was advised by his team of doctors to stay in the hospital and remain in the hospital.
00:15:57
Speaker 3: And deal with his disease.
00:15:59
Speaker 2: And it has drawn I would say, mixed reactions, but from what I have seen, mostly negative reactions. Because I don't even think we need to state the obvious. He had access to this healthcare, He had the ability to take four months off of work, and he did it all on the tax pipe payer dime, all the while so many of his constituents and folks here across America don't even come close to having access to that type of health care, let alone have the ability to take four months off because these weren't.
00:16:27
Speaker 1: That's not a criticism. That's great. He has. That healthcare is great. He has that access great, he had compounds to go to it's all of that is great. I am jealous of it. No one is. No one can be critical of the fact that he just is someone who has means. It is legitimate robes to take him to task for not acknowledging that he does. He is not acknowledging the disparity in anything he said today. He didn't acknowledge that he was blessed. I wish others had that. All people were looking for robes. So don't please put in any of this discussion. Please don't get it twisted that anybody is upset that he got better, took time for himself, took care of his health took care of his family, did what he needed to do for himself. That is not a criticism. But when you show back up robes and act like, yeah, everybody should do this. Yeah, I took care of me. You should do it too. You should do it too. You do it down there at the grocery store, who's working forty nine hours a week at the at the checker. Yes, go in there and tell your boss you need to take care of you and you need three months off with pay. Go do that. What is he talking about? It is staggering. We talk all we are amazed at so many apologies and things that come out, like how did somebody miss this? This obvious thing?
00:17:48
Speaker 2: Because when you live in a bubble, it's a rounded by people who are just like you. You really you can act like you feel other people's pain, but you don't, and it comes out in moments like this. You don't actually understand how offensive it is what you're saying. And I understand that there is empathy that should be extended to him. He's gone through a tough time, all of that, None of that is what's on the table. It's his lack of empathy for everyone else.
00:18:16
Speaker 1: It's not that personal. It's uh. I don't know where he got. But I too have gone in for something else, to a doctor for testing and walked out with a diagnosis of moderately severe depression. And the doctor didn't tell me to stay in the hospital. He told me to quit my job and move back to Atlanta. He actually told me that.
00:18:37
Speaker 3: We were just having this conversation a couple of days ago.
00:18:40
Speaker 1: And what did I do. I pushed through. It impacted me. I had suicidal thoughts at times, I had issues, and I dealt with all this. That's not right. It's not what I should have done. Probably I should have put myself first. But I got kids, I got rent, I got mortgages, I got responsibilities. I have duties. I have a job, I got people that are depending on I just don't know robes. Even when I was a guy with means and to think I could just bounce on everybody, I have a response, just to shut down life, he said in the stop right what he said, I have responsibility my constituents to mifa, Okay, you didn't. I'm not saying you got to show up to work every day. But a responsibility is a just an ounce of transparency. Robes and today he shows up with this. It's hard because you feel like you're criticizing the guy. We don't know what was going on, right.
00:19:33
Speaker 2: And we want to just reiterate. And I think everyone, even those who have thrown in. Some people have been more critical than others, but I think everyone. I can't imagine anybody wouldn't extend him that sympathy and that support for Yes, making sure your head's on straight, making sure you're there for your family, making sure that you're able to take care of your mental health needs, that is something everyone should be able to do. But it just I think for most folks seems exceptionally indulgent. Not to necessarily take that for yourself, but to do it on the taxpayer dime, To stay in your position, to continue to accept your salary, to ask to be re elected, and then to tell other people they should do the same thing. I think that it's a big problem. Look, he is he is now in an election year, and he is running for reelection and the voters will decide in November. His opponent on the Democratic side, Rebecca Bennett, did release a statement and I thought she did a good job of expressing support for him. But also calling him out for what a lot of folks are saying. She wrote this on x I am relieved that Congressman Tom Kaine Junior is well and continue to wish him good health.
00:20:49
Speaker 3: But let's be clear. I got into this.
00:20:51
Speaker 2: Race because Tom Kaine Junior was failing our community long before this absence. He was the deciding vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill, which jacked up health care costs for everyone and kicked thousands off of their health insurance in our district. He has consistently failed to stand up for our communities, including when funding for the Gateway project was threatened, and he voted in favor of a reckless war that has made everything more expensive for New Jersey families. Yet Tom Kine Junior is still somehow found time to trade stocks while missing votes. This is the self serving culture in Washington that New Jerseyans are rejecting, and the kind of behavior they are sick and tired of from career politicians. I spent my life serving this country in uniform, and I'm ready to serve our district in Congress. It's time we hold Tom Kane Junior accountable for his record and bring a new generation of leadership to Washington.
00:21:42
Speaker 1: Health care is going to be front and center in this race.
00:21:44
Speaker 2: Absolutely it is, and he made it like it already was, and we're living it.
00:21:48
Speaker 3: I'm experiencing it.
00:21:50
Speaker 2: I am feeling frustrated that I have frustrated that I have never felt before, and I still have the ability to pay for insurance.
00:21:56
Speaker 3: But it's not.
00:21:59
Speaker 2: Until you've experienced what it's like, you don't know. And so he's telling people, until you've experienced what depression is like, you don't know.
00:22:05
Speaker 3: I'm sure that's true.
00:22:07
Speaker 2: You can speak to it most people because I've had it episodically. I've never been diagnosed, but certainly the same could be said right back to him.
00:22:14
Speaker 3: You don't know what it's like not to have health care. You don't know what it's like not to have access to insurance.
00:22:20
Speaker 2: You don't know what it's like not to be able to pay your bills and not to be able to have the luxury to stop working.
00:22:31
Speaker 1: I don't know who he talked to beforehand, but I don't know he didn't talk to Richie Torres. Let's go end on this. Richie Torres is a congressman from New York the fifteenth district. I do believe. But a Democrat, fairly he must be in a second term tops maybe, but young cat, but a Democrat. He put this statement out on X and I thought this was a good one. Roxy summed up quote as someone who has lived with depression, and I have deep sympathy for anyone struggling with mental illness. I might not be alive today. We're not for a prolonged hospitalization and a proper medication. I know the value of taking a medical leave first hand. 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. Trans 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. The public is often most forgiving of those who level with him. Amen, we should have talked to him as soon as shit went down with us. That is so true, It is so correct, it is so right, and it's so well said Robes and put perfectly. We get it. My man and others of us have been there, but we didn't do what you did. Is the point he's making. That's a fair statement, Robes, and that kind of sums it up.
00:23:50
Speaker 2: That is, and I you know, look, the reaction is just pouring in now, just hours after he made this statement on the House floor, but certainly he is going to be hearing it from his constituents.
00:24:01
Speaker 3: And healthcare. I'm excited.
00:24:05
Speaker 2: I want we have been so many folks have been screaming from the mountaintops. We need to fix our healthcare system, period. And to think that he was on the other side of where a lot of folks wish or hope their healthcare could be. And when it comes to voting, let's see if he does make this part of his platform. Let's see if he does take this experience he's had and use it for good. It's possible he could get there. It's possible he'll see and read and take in this feedback and maybe make some changes to the way he communicates and what he communicates to his constituents. So we shall see. But it was quite the day on Capitol Hill. We always appreciate you listening to us.
00:24:49
Speaker 3: Everyone. I made me Roebuck alongside TJ. Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Tuesday, June thirtieth, and as promised, the mystery of the missing congressman has been solved. After four months of not being seen in public, New Jersey congressman showed back up on the house floor and explained why he's been gone. Some people didn't appreciate his explanation, and with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. We're talking about Tom Kane Junior. Hasn't been to work since March. Showed up at work today.
00:00:28
Speaker 2: Yes, he missed one hundred and forty votes in total, missed four months of work, offered zero explanation other than a I guess he said an unexplained or an unspecified I believe was the word? An unspecified medical condition? Well, he stood on the house floor and explained to his colleagues that he was diagnosed with depression.
00:00:51
Speaker 1: What was your reaction to that? I was waiting on a more of a build up. Quite frankly, given all the mystery that was surrounding this, he didn't want to be seen publicly, even seen. Didn't say a word. What did you make when you heard depression?
00:01:05
Speaker 2: I was shocked, I was too baby, look I am and I think anyone can. I feel like in this day and age, most people respect that mental illness is absolutely a disease.
00:01:21
Speaker 3: It can be a fatal.
00:01:22
Speaker 2: Disease, and it deserves the attention and the respect of any other disease, and it hasn't for historically speaking. So I understand the importance of sharing a story of discussing mental health issues, but I think this was a little tone deaf on his part in this sense that here you have a wealthy, prominent, powerful member of Congress who comes from a family of means and power, and to explain to the American people now form months later and your colleagues that you have been in a treatment facility being treated for depression. I think anyone would applaud someone who has means to do that, but then to do it on the taxpayer dollar, to continue to collect your salary, to offer zero explanation to your constituents while you're going through it, and then to expect people to I kind of think applaud him for his heroism for speaking out and speaking up is a little tough for a lot of folks who can't imagine being able to have the luxury of doing all of the things he has just done.
00:02:38
Speaker 1: Hey, we're going to let you hear from him himself. He made a short, a very brief statement, a speech on the House floor win less than five minutes. But the reason nobody's going to criticize anyone for taking time off and taking care of themselves. The problem here is that he never said a word about what's going on. Now. This went beyond I need to take some time off. He said, I need to take some time and I'm not going to tell you why. I'm not going to give you a hint. Why you're not gonna hear from me. You're not going to see my face. I'm going to disappear, and then when I come back, this is all you're gonna get. Now, Robes, we are supposed to and I think everyone who has responded has done this quite delicately, even his political opponent, that we will share that statement. You have to Robes depression. It is serious and it leads to deaths. It does. As you mentioned, we don't know how serious this was, but for him to say, Robes, he went to a hospital for some testing, is what he said, and then they told him not to leave the hospital. Robes, that is a big mystery, what testing was being done, what did he go in for, and why is it that they notice something so alarming during testing that they said you should check yourself into a hospital. And we ain't heard from you in four months, Robes, Okay, we're trying to leave space. We're trying to leave space. We don't know how bad off he was. We don't know, oh how serious it got, how life threatening it possibly even got so robe. When you say that, we have to just in one respect, honor that, applaud that, and be grateful that he's okay. That's part one. I think everybody's on the same page there.
00:04:16
Speaker 3: Everybody would agree with that without question.
00:04:19
Speaker 2: That is absolutely fair and important to acknowledge that everyone was wishing for his speedy recovery. Everyone hopes that he has the help he needs, He's gotten the tools he was looking for, all of those things. No one wishes him anything but continued.
00:04:42
Speaker 3: Health and success.
00:04:44
Speaker 2: However, there are a lot of questions, and some of what he said created more questions on top of the questions that were already there, and some.
00:04:57
Speaker 1: Of what he said it created some frustration, some anger, and some criticism going his way because it was and it's difficult to say any other way.
00:05:05
Speaker 2: It was.
00:05:06
Speaker 1: It was bizarrely tone deaf. It was you expressed. And the problem is not Robes. I mean, you do applaud somebody for getting help. The issue is that you need to help other people have access to the same help you did.
00:05:21
Speaker 3: Ding ding ding ding ding, And so.
00:05:23
Speaker 1: Robes were running into a situation. There is a single mother in Memphis, Tennessee right now that I assure you could use four months off paid leave right now.
00:05:34
Speaker 3: Babe, you just nailed it. And that is it.
00:05:36
Speaker 2: And if you look at some people are already pointing to his voting history when it comes to healthcare and in this country, look, you and I experienced. I experienced insurance issues that I had never ever experienced before when we were fired from our jobs, and once Cobra went through, I still struggle as a cancer survivor getting access to physicians. And I am paying a ton of money and thankfully I can afford that each month, but I still don't have the same access. You and I couldn't take four months off of our jobs to take care of our mental health and to act as if we're all supposed to applaud and support that when pretty much. I would say the vast majority of folks would never be able to even consider that and wouldn't have the luxury, the options, or even like the access to any of that.
00:06:30
Speaker 1: He is encouraging others to do this, robes, take care of yourself. If I help one person, That's what he said, right, If my story coming forward helps one person, that just people do not have the time or the money to take the time he had it was, he had months to work on this, and your heart goes out to him for whatever he went through with his family. I'm not suggesting it wasn't hard, baby, but he did have an opportunity here. He did have an opportunity to move the conversation forward in a different way about how he's going to help. And it's a damn shame that everybody can't do what I just did.
00:07:11
Speaker 3: If he had done that, he didn't.
00:07:13
Speaker 1: Acknowledge that what he got was exceptional based on who he is, where he works, in the money his family has that he lost to me, I was ready to like, I can't wait to hear and we're all going to understand why bring him back is going to be a great story. Man. He slapped the hell out of a lot of people with his comments, Baby.
00:07:34
Speaker 2: You just nailed it because he missed an unbelievable opportunity. How many people in this country are suffering from depression, severe depression. How many people of those folks have quality health care, have access to the same type of treatment, and have the ability to not work for four months. I'm going to go with almost no one. So yeah, you could say I'm going to make changes, I'm going to change how I vote. I am going to make this my number one priority that everyone in this country has access to mental health professionals, no matter who you are, where you work. This is an epidemic, and I'm going to be the agent of change based on my personal experience. Instead, he wanted us to understand how hard it was for him to speak out because he's such a private person.
00:08:19
Speaker 3: We understood how private he was in the last four months.
00:08:21
Speaker 2: For sure, that was notable, But it was almost as if he all, look and I get it, he's living in his own bubble and he's speaking through the lens that he just walked through this tough time and we're not taking that away from him. Of course, I'm sure it was an unbelievable and perhaps even life threatening situation. But to not have the greater perspective of who you are, the weight of your words, and the opportunity you had to acknowledge that big, significant changes need to take place in this country so everyone could have the same chance he's gotten to improve his life.
00:08:56
Speaker 1: Let's let you take a listen to him. This is only a portion of him today. This is again Representative Tom Caine Junior on the floor of the House today, re emerging again. This is the first time in four months he has been to work.
00:09:09
Speaker 4: We're talking about myself has never come naturally, But I believe that I owe an explanation to the people of New Jersey's seventh District, to my colleagues in this chamber, and to the American people for my absence. Several months ago, due to health concerns, I entered the hospital for some testing. I did not believe that this would result in a long term stay. I was given the diagnosis of depression. Now, when people hear the word depression, many people think 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. The doctors recommended that I've remain in the hospital to address my illness. They explained to me that this would be the fastest way to recovery. And to be honest, I was hesitant. I didn't think that I had time for it. I had responsibility to my family, I had responsibilities to my constituents, I had responsibilities to this institution, and like many people, I believed that I could simply push through.
00:10:25
Speaker 1: Where do you want to start? Uh? I want Robes? I went in for testing. The doctors recommended, after they die me with depression, that the best corps of action is for you to stay here for treatment and recovery. Ropes, how serious of a condition did he have? How bad off was he? He did mention at some point that this was something maybe he didn't realize he'd been dealing with over years. But Robes, at the point that we need to we need to put you in the hospital. I mean, that's sound really sounds very serious. Serious, It sounds very serious.
00:11:04
Speaker 2: And look, I can understand perhaps why he's even hesitant, because if it was that serious that you actually had to be hospitalized for that extended period of time. The question is you're now asking New Jersey voters to keep you in office. And I just think there needs to be more explanation as to what the path forward is. How is it that he's recovered, what has he done? What is he doing? And I think people need to understand that in order to be able to build back the trust that he will show up to work, that he will continue to work for the people, because I do think we kept getting these comments and statements from either staff members or through him that he was still serving the people of the seventh District of New Jersey, and I just find that hard to imagine that he was actually able to do that.
00:11:57
Speaker 1: Is this a transparency, right? He thinks he just nailed it and he told everybody what's going on. And now he's going to be talked about He's going to do a lot of interviews. Probably he'll probably talk about mental health. Is he going to push legislation? Who knows what he's going to do robes, but transparency? Is it? Is this sufficient? Is this sufficient transparency? I guess that's up you know, no matter what that's up to the voters in his district, And nobody else, But is this enough? Did he give enough? And it's again it's it's two different sides of this robes, the one side having to do with mental health care and the other side ropes having to do with his responsibility to his constituents no matter what's going on with you. Did they did? Were they owed more? So that's two different conversations kind of that are are being had. Did they deserve more? And during this whole process, and do we all now deserve more than he is giving us in this conversation which is now tone deaf. And the guy who emerged as right, he could be a spokesperson to a certain degree, He could go out there and really be an advocate for mental health and it just doesn't seem like Rose he's up to the task based on what he said today.
00:13:15
Speaker 2: Correct And look, look, I know X and I know social media is it tends to have extreme reaction to things, but there is a very consistent drumbeat where you just see comment after comment after comment on his post from folks who were all saying the same thing. And I've got one that kind of sums it up, but they said, shocking display of entitlement, disappearing with no explanation, but able to trade stocks, unable to place a call for explanations, less even for attending to Congress, denying you as healthcare but benefiting from the best and keeping.
00:13:51
Speaker 3: Your salary rather outrageous.
00:13:53
Speaker 2: I mean, there are different versions of this, but people are also saying, and I hope you take into consideration what you've just been through the next time you vote on a healthcare bill. They're talking about the millions of Americans who have lost access to their healthcare.
00:14:09
Speaker 3: Who's helping them, not you.
00:14:11
Speaker 2: So look, he's now taking this stand based on a personal experience that sounds deeply personal and sounds like it's been very impactful. Is this going to impact him in terms of how he feels about making sure he's responsible for the people he represents in terms of their access to quality healthcare.
00:14:31
Speaker 1: Encouraged others to do so if me bringing my story forward helps one person to seek help, but one person to save and to go out and get help. So he took four months off. I don't understand. I don't know there's a tone deafness here that was a little staggering. But like you said, you've been reading some comments. It's not just us but stay here, we're actually going to share with you what his opponent and the upcoming election had to say. And also we found one comment from a New York congressman that we thought was well done no one else who's also dealt with depression. But it made some comments as well that really kind of brought it home state.
00:15:06
Speaker 2: And welcome back everyone to this episode of Amy and TJ. We finally did get an explanation from New Jersey Congressman Tom Kine Junior, who showed up after literally disappearing physically and even just in any way, shape or form from Congress from his duty as the representative of the seventh district there in New Jersey. He missed one hundred and forty votes, missed four months of work, and notably refused to give an explanation to anyone other than an obscure medical condition. So he finally takes to the floor of the house and says he is suffering from depression. He was advised by his team of doctors to stay in the hospital and remain in the hospital.
00:15:57
Speaker 3: And deal with his disease.
00:15:59
Speaker 2: And it has drawn I would say, mixed reactions, but from what I have seen, mostly negative reactions. Because I don't even think we need to state the obvious. He had access to this healthcare, He had the ability to take four months off of work, and he did it all on the tax pipe payer dime, all the while so many of his constituents and folks here across America don't even come close to having access to that type of health care, let alone have the ability to take four months off because these weren't.
00:16:27
Speaker 1: That's not a criticism. That's great. He has. That healthcare is great. He has that access great, he had compounds to go to it's all of that is great. I am jealous of it. No one is. No one can be critical of the fact that he just is someone who has means. It is legitimate robes to take him to task for not acknowledging that he does. He is not acknowledging the disparity in anything he said today. He didn't acknowledge that he was blessed. I wish others had that. All people were looking for robes. So don't please put in any of this discussion. Please don't get it twisted that anybody is upset that he got better, took time for himself, took care of his health took care of his family, did what he needed to do for himself. That is not a criticism. But when you show back up robes and act like, yeah, everybody should do this. Yeah, I took care of me. You should do it too. You should do it too. You do it down there at the grocery store, who's working forty nine hours a week at the at the checker. Yes, go in there and tell your boss you need to take care of you and you need three months off with pay. Go do that. What is he talking about? It is staggering. We talk all we are amazed at so many apologies and things that come out, like how did somebody miss this? This obvious thing?
00:17:48
Speaker 2: Because when you live in a bubble, it's a rounded by people who are just like you. You really you can act like you feel other people's pain, but you don't, and it comes out in moments like this. You don't actually understand how offensive it is what you're saying. And I understand that there is empathy that should be extended to him. He's gone through a tough time, all of that, None of that is what's on the table. It's his lack of empathy for everyone else.
00:18:16
Speaker 1: It's not that personal. It's uh. I don't know where he got. But I too have gone in for something else, to a doctor for testing and walked out with a diagnosis of moderately severe depression. And the doctor didn't tell me to stay in the hospital. He told me to quit my job and move back to Atlanta. He actually told me that.
00:18:37
Speaker 3: We were just having this conversation a couple of days ago.
00:18:40
Speaker 1: And what did I do. I pushed through. It impacted me. I had suicidal thoughts at times, I had issues, and I dealt with all this. That's not right. It's not what I should have done. Probably I should have put myself first. But I got kids, I got rent, I got mortgages, I got responsibilities. I have duties. I have a job, I got people that are depending on I just don't know robes. Even when I was a guy with means and to think I could just bounce on everybody, I have a response, just to shut down life, he said in the stop right what he said, I have responsibility my constituents to mifa, Okay, you didn't. I'm not saying you got to show up to work every day. But a responsibility is a just an ounce of transparency. Robes and today he shows up with this. It's hard because you feel like you're criticizing the guy. We don't know what was going on, right.
00:19:33
Speaker 2: And we want to just reiterate. And I think everyone, even those who have thrown in. Some people have been more critical than others, but I think everyone. I can't imagine anybody wouldn't extend him that sympathy and that support for Yes, making sure your head's on straight, making sure you're there for your family, making sure that you're able to take care of your mental health needs, that is something everyone should be able to do. But it just I think for most folks seems exceptionally indulgent. Not to necessarily take that for yourself, but to do it on the taxpayer dime, To stay in your position, to continue to accept your salary, to ask to be re elected, and then to tell other people they should do the same thing. I think that it's a big problem. Look, he is he is now in an election year, and he is running for reelection and the voters will decide in November. His opponent on the Democratic side, Rebecca Bennett, did release a statement and I thought she did a good job of expressing support for him. But also calling him out for what a lot of folks are saying. She wrote this on x I am relieved that Congressman Tom Kaine Junior is well and continue to wish him good health.
00:20:49
Speaker 3: But let's be clear. I got into this.
00:20:51
Speaker 2: Race because Tom Kaine Junior was failing our community long before this absence. He was the deciding vote on the One Big Beautiful Bill, which jacked up health care costs for everyone and kicked thousands off of their health insurance in our district. He has consistently failed to stand up for our communities, including when funding for the Gateway project was threatened, and he voted in favor of a reckless war that has made everything more expensive for New Jersey families. Yet Tom Kine Junior is still somehow found time to trade stocks while missing votes. This is the self serving culture in Washington that New Jerseyans are rejecting, and the kind of behavior they are sick and tired of from career politicians. I spent my life serving this country in uniform, and I'm ready to serve our district in Congress. It's time we hold Tom Kane Junior accountable for his record and bring a new generation of leadership to Washington.
00:21:42
Speaker 1: Health care is going to be front and center in this race.
00:21:44
Speaker 2: Absolutely it is, and he made it like it already was, and we're living it.
00:21:48
Speaker 3: I'm experiencing it.
00:21:50
Speaker 2: I am feeling frustrated that I have frustrated that I have never felt before, and I still have the ability to pay for insurance.
00:21:56
Speaker 3: But it's not.
00:21:59
Speaker 2: Until you've experienced what it's like, you don't know. And so he's telling people, until you've experienced what depression is like, you don't know.
00:22:05
Speaker 3: I'm sure that's true.
00:22:07
Speaker 2: You can speak to it most people because I've had it episodically. I've never been diagnosed, but certainly the same could be said right back to him.
00:22:14
Speaker 3: You don't know what it's like not to have health care. You don't know what it's like not to have access to insurance.
00:22:20
Speaker 2: You don't know what it's like not to be able to pay your bills and not to be able to have the luxury to stop working.
00:22:31
Speaker 1: I don't know who he talked to beforehand, but I don't know he didn't talk to Richie Torres. Let's go end on this. Richie Torres is a congressman from New York the fifteenth district. I do believe. But a Democrat, fairly he must be in a second term tops maybe, but young cat, but a Democrat. He put this statement out on X and I thought this was a good one. Roxy summed up quote as someone who has lived with depression, and I have deep sympathy for anyone struggling with mental illness. I might not be alive today. We're not for a prolonged hospitalization and a proper medication. I know the value of taking a medical leave first hand. 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. Trans 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. The public is often most forgiving of those who level with him. Amen, we should have talked to him as soon as shit went down with us. That is so true, It is so correct, it is so right, and it's so well said Robes and put perfectly. We get it. My man and others of us have been there, but we didn't do what you did. Is the point he's making. That's a fair statement, Robes, and that kind of sums it up.
00:23:50
Speaker 2: That is, and I you know, look, the reaction is just pouring in now, just hours after he made this statement on the House floor, but certainly he is going to be hearing it from his constituents.
00:24:01
Speaker 3: And healthcare. I'm excited.
00:24:05
Speaker 2: I want we have been so many folks have been screaming from the mountaintops. We need to fix our healthcare system, period. And to think that he was on the other side of where a lot of folks wish or hope their healthcare could be. And when it comes to voting, let's see if he does make this part of his platform. Let's see if he does take this experience he's had and use it for good. It's possible he could get there. It's possible he'll see and read and take in this feedback and maybe make some changes to the way he communicates and what he communicates to his constituents. So we shall see. But it was quite the day on Capitol Hill. We always appreciate you listening to us.
00:24:49
Speaker 3: Everyone. I made me Roebuck alongside TJ. Holmes. We'll talk to you soon.