Steve Scalise, the R-La. House majority leader, revealed on Tuesday that he is undergoing cancer treatment.
“I got some blood work done this past week after a few days of feeling unwell. I was diagnosed with Several Myeloma, a highly treatable blood cancer after the results revealed some anomalies and I underwent extra testing, he said in a statement.
“I’ve started my treatment, which will last for the foreseeable future. I anticipate working throughout this time and returning to Washington to continue serving the people of Louisiana’s First Congressional District and as Majority Leader, Scalise, 57, added.
Congress has been on vacation for the entire month of August and is scheduled to return next month.
Scalise’s statement added, “I am tremendously happy we were able to find this early and that this disease is treatable. “I am grateful for my excellent medical team, along with the help of God, and the encouragement of my family, friends, coworkers, and constituents, I will approach this with the same strength and energy as I have approached previous challenges,” the speaker said.
Republican senator from Louisiana Bill Cassidy jumped in to express his support for Scalise:
I join with so many others in prayer for @SteveScalise and his family. The same faith, family support, and internal strength that made Steve such an inspiration to others after he was shot, will bring him through this illness and once more inspire us all.
— U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (@SenBillCassidy) August 29, 2023
During a shooting spree at a congressional baseball practice in 2017, Scalise sustained serious injuries. He was wounded in the hip, and the bullet caused various organ ruptures, necessitating multiple surgeries. He was unable to work on the House floor for three months due to his injuries, and he still limps.
Speaking to Scalise on Tuesday, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy of California said that “he’s in good spirits.”
Nothing — not a gunshot and most definitely not cancer — will stop Scalise from achieving what he sets his mind to, McCarthy said. “He’s a faith-filled fighter who can conquer any obstacle that stands in his way.”