Congressional leaders are straining to get their absentee members to return to Capitol Hill as the House's vote margins on major legislation grow ever more precarious.
Why it matters: Just 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 truants on that vote included Reps. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) and Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.). Both have missed weeks of votes.
- The mystery of Wilson's absence was solved on Thursday — she is recovering from a major eye surgery — but questions surround Kean's mysterious disappearance.
What we're hearing: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) urged Wilson in a recent phone call to return to Washington, D.C., as quickly 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," the Democratic leader said, referring to Republicans' narrow House majority.
- Wilson, who is 83, explained about her eye surgery and said she plans to return to D.C. next Wednesday.
Zoom in: Kean's situation is far murkier. The 57-year-old has missed two months of House votes, having said in a statement last month that he is dealing with an unspecified "personal medical issue."
- Even House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) seems to be largely in the dark, telling reporters on Thursday that 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 speaker added.
- The New York Times reported Thursday that Kean cancelled a scheduled appearance at a May 28 breakfast event and that his chief of staff told reporters there are "no cameras where Tom is."
The intrigue: Neither Kean nor Wilson have given indications they plan to drop their bids for reelection.
- There were rumors that Wilson may retire, but she dispelled that notion on Thursday, telling state Sen. Shevrin Jones in a phone call that she plans to seek another term.
- Kean is the only candidate on the Republican primary ballot in a district Democrats view as a top pickup target. His campaign sent out fundraising emails as recently as Thursday morning.
