"Kean himself has reportedly indicated through limited public communication that doctors expect a full recovery and that he hopes to return to Congress within weeks...At the same time, there is also very little public visibility into the condition of a sitting member of Congress who has disappeared from the visible duties of representation for months...They are effectively asked to trust that representation still meaningfully exists even when the person they elected is no longer visibly carrying out the core functions of the office."
Not at all! When children are absent from school, a doctor's note is required to explain the absence. We should have every basis to expect the people we elect, and generously pay, to represent us. I'm not interested in Kean's version of what his doctor thinks and anticipates. I want to hear from the doctor. (I'm not in NJ, but if I were...) And if some legislator has become demented, and landed up in a nursing home, Congress needs to demand to know that, on the day of admission. (Someone who gets admitted to a nursing home because of dementia isn't going to get all better, and return to work at the US Congress.)
Tom Kean should have been more forthcoming about his absence. He could have made a FaceTime call to his office or Congress so his constituents could know what is happening with his health. Was he sick? Did he have major surgery, or have a serious accident? People are going to wonder, and speculate.
We know nothing about it, and Congress has not established this requirement. You're right that what you describe should happen, but there's no law that says it must. It's a little long now for substance abuse rehab, but who knows.
Yes, substance abuse rehab is a possibility. I don’t know enough about the.congressman to know if this could be possible, but then so many people have gotten hooked because the doctor prescribed prescription strength opioid pain relievers, and the patient couldn’t stop. We need to see if it possible to predict who is likely to become addicted to them, so we can-avoid the addiction for them.
I said I was inclined to doubt substance abuse rehab, because programs are commonly 28 days. It's at least two months now.
And as for a possible substance, there's a range of them. Doctor-prescribed opiates is perhaps less likely, since members of Congress are more likely to get a higher (excuse the pun) level of treatment. But whether it's that, alcohol, or anything else, if Kean was to accept persuasion to stabilize himself with a 12-step group, he might have to find one in which he would be less conspicuous. And that can go on indefinitely, but not consume so much of his time that he couldn't participate in Congress.
You have a point about substance abuse. If Kean had a drinking problem, there would have been embarrassing situations, much like the Kash Patel has had, and his constituents would have been up in arms, and calling for his resignation. I’ll bet there are quite a few AA meetings in Washington and quite a few people from the government who attend them.
Reforms are needed but readers should appreciate that it is not unusual for many companies in private industry to offer three to six months of paid leave for serious illness. As to the age of Representatives - that's a known factor when they are elected. Whether they should be elected is an entirely different issue but up to the voters to decide.
Spectacular, as always.
"Kean himself has reportedly indicated through limited public communication that doctors expect a full recovery and that he hopes to return to Congress within weeks...At the same time, there is also very little public visibility into the condition of a sitting member of Congress who has disappeared from the visible duties of representation for months...They are effectively asked to trust that representation still meaningfully exists even when the person they elected is no longer visibly carrying out the core functions of the office."
Not at all! When children are absent from school, a doctor's note is required to explain the absence. We should have every basis to expect the people we elect, and generously pay, to represent us. I'm not interested in Kean's version of what his doctor thinks and anticipates. I want to hear from the doctor. (I'm not in NJ, but if I were...) And if some legislator has become demented, and landed up in a nursing home, Congress needs to demand to know that, on the day of admission. (Someone who gets admitted to a nursing home because of dementia isn't going to get all better, and return to work at the US Congress.)
Tom Kean should have been more forthcoming about his absence. He could have made a FaceTime call to his office or Congress so his constituents could know what is happening with his health. Was he sick? Did he have major surgery, or have a serious accident? People are going to wonder, and speculate.
We know nothing about it, and Congress has not established this requirement. You're right that what you describe should happen, but there's no law that says it must. It's a little long now for substance abuse rehab, but who knows.
Yes, substance abuse rehab is a possibility. I don’t know enough about the.congressman to know if this could be possible, but then so many people have gotten hooked because the doctor prescribed prescription strength opioid pain relievers, and the patient couldn’t stop. We need to see if it possible to predict who is likely to become addicted to them, so we can-avoid the addiction for them.
I said I was inclined to doubt substance abuse rehab, because programs are commonly 28 days. It's at least two months now.
And as for a possible substance, there's a range of them. Doctor-prescribed opiates is perhaps less likely, since members of Congress are more likely to get a higher (excuse the pun) level of treatment. But whether it's that, alcohol, or anything else, if Kean was to accept persuasion to stabilize himself with a 12-step group, he might have to find one in which he would be less conspicuous. And that can go on indefinitely, but not consume so much of his time that he couldn't participate in Congress.
You have a point about substance abuse. If Kean had a drinking problem, there would have been embarrassing situations, much like the Kash Patel has had, and his constituents would have been up in arms, and calling for his resignation. I’ll bet there are quite a few AA meetings in Washington and quite a few people from the government who attend them.
Reforms are needed but readers should appreciate that it is not unusual for many companies in private industry to offer three to six months of paid leave for serious illness. As to the age of Representatives - that's a known factor when they are elected. Whether they should be elected is an entirely different issue but up to the voters to decide.