House Leaders Urge Absentee Lawmakers to Return Amid Narrow Vote Margins

Congressional leaders are urgently calling for absentee lawmakers to return to Capitol Hill as House vote margins on major legislation grow increasingly precarious.

Why it matters: On Thursday, an Iran war powers resolution failed to pass in a tie vote. Any lawmaker could have tipped the outcome—and half a dozen were absent.

"People cannot miss votes," a senior House Democrat told Axios.

The lawmakers absent for the vote included Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) and Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), both of whom have missed weeks of votes.

While Wilson’s absence was explained—she is recovering from major eye surgery—Kean’s disappearance remains shrouded in mystery.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Urges Wilson to Return

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) recently spoke with Wilson by phone, urging her to return to Washington, D.C., as soon as possible, according to the senior House Democrat and another source familiar with the matter.

"You've got to come. The numbers are too small," Jeffries said, referring to Republicans’ narrow House majority.

Wilson, who is 83, confirmed her eye surgery and stated she plans to return to D.C. next Wednesday.

Tom Kean Jr.’s Absence Remains a Mystery

Kean, 57, has missed two months of House votes. In a statement last month, he cited an unspecified "personal medical issue."

Even House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) admitted limited knowledge of Kean’s situation, telling reporters on Thursday:

"Kean has a medical issue, and that's all I know about it and that's all I can say about it. Obviously I told him we're praying for him and we need him to get back as soon as he can."

The New York Times reported Thursday that Kean canceled a scheduled appearance at a May 28 breakfast event. His chief of staff told reporters there are "no cameras where Tom is."

No Signs of Retirement for Kean or Wilson

Neither Kean nor Wilson have indicated plans to drop their reelection bids.

Rumors suggested Wilson might retire, but she dismissed them on Thursday. In a phone call with state Sen. Shevrin Jones, she confirmed she plans to seek another term.

Kean, meanwhile, is the only candidate on the Republican primary ballot in a district Democrats view as a top pickup target. His campaign continued sending fundraising emails as recently as Thursday morning.