WASHINGTON — House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said Tuesday that he’s being treated for cancer.
“After a few days of not feeling like myself this past week, I had some blood work done. The results uncovered some irregularities and after undergoing additional tests, I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a very treatable blood cancer,” he said in a statement.
“I have now begun treatment, which will continue for the next several months. I expect to work through this period and intend to return to Washington, continuing my work as Majority Leader and serving the people of Louisiana’s First Congressional District,” Scalise, 57, continued.
Congress has been on a monthlong August recess and is expected to return next month.
“I am incredibly grateful we were able to detect this early and that this cancer is treatable,” Scalise’s statement continued. “I am thankful for my excellent medical team, and with the help of God, support of my family, friends, colleagues, and constituents, I will tackle this with the same strength and energy as I have tackled past challenges.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy, a fellow Louisiana Republican, weighed in to extend his support for Scalise:
Scalise was gravely wounded in a mass shooting at a congressional baseball practice in 2017. He was shot in the hip, and the bullet ruptured several organs, which required multiple operations. His injuries took him away from the House floor for three months, and he continues to walk with a limp.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said on X that he spoke to Scalise on Tuesday and that “he’s in good spirits.”
Scalise, McCarthy wrote, “is a dear friend, and anyone who knows him knows he’s a faith-filled fighter who can overcome any obstacle that stands in his way. … Nothing—not a gunshot and certainly not cancer—will stop him from accomplishing what he sets his mind to.”
The White House on Tuesday night said that President Joe Biden called Scalise earlier in the day “to express his best wishes for a swift recovery.”
Rebecca Kaplan, Liz Brown-Kaiser and Kyle Stewart contributed.
