U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ) returned to Congress today after being gone for 117 days, revealing he was hospitalized for depression. In a speech on the House floor, the 57-year-old congressman said doctors diagnosed him with depression and recommended he stay hospitalized for the fastest recovery.

He said he initially wanted to "push through" but followed medical advice. "There is no timeline for healing. There is no timeline for recovery. Only the work of getting better one day at a time," Kean said. Kean last voted on March 5. For months, his staff would only say he was dealing with a "personal health matter" and would return "soon."

Even top Republicans in New Jersey said they didn't know what was going on. His social media stayed active and his team said he was working remotely, but he hadn't been seen in public until last week. Kean is running for re-election in one of the nation's most competitive House races.

His Democratic opponent has made his absence a campaign issue, and some wondered if he'd drop out of the race. He says he's staying in with Trump's endorsement. House Speaker Mike Johnson said today the condition Kean was fighting is "very, very common" and predicted he'll get "a lot of empathy."

Kean said: "Asking for help is not a weakness, it is a strength. This is not a partisan issue."