Rep Steve Scalise Diagnosed With Very Treatable Blood Cancer

Table Of Content

• DCCC chair election
• Jordan Peterson discusses wife’s ‘miraculous’ recovery from cancer and her embrace of Catholicism
• Search the People of the House
• House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says he is being treated for cancer
• Leading Republican Steve Scalise back at work after blood cancer treatment
• UPDATE: Congressman Steve Scalise to Undergo Stem Cell Transplant
• Nonprofits take a hit in House earmark rules
• Aftermath of Republican leadership elections

Lawmakers, reacting to his diagnosis on social media, shared support and well wishes for the majority leader. The whip keeps track of all legislation and ensures that all party members are present when important measures are to be voted upon. The minority party offers opposition, but it is of marginal significance, typically because the minority is so small. Five activities illustrate how minority leaders seek to accomplish this primary goal.

DCCC chair election

"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 wrote. After having blood work done in August, the congressman was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a “very treatable,” relatively rare form of blood cancer that develops in plasma cells in the blood marrow. Anders Kolb, MD, president and CEO of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, multiple myeloma "is a blood cancer that affects a person’s plasma cells, which are a type of white blood cell found in the bone marrow." "After a few days of not feeling like myself this past week, I had some blood work done," Scalise, 57, posted on X Tuesday.

Jordan Peterson discusses wife’s ‘miraculous’ recovery from cancer and her embrace of Catholicism

"The results uncovered some irregularities and after undergoing additional tests, I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a very treatable blood cancer," he said on X, the former Twitter. "I have now begun treatment, which will continue for the next several months." Multiple myeloma is a rare blood cancer that occurs in plasma cells — the white blood cells that help fight infections by making antibodies that attack germs — according to Mayo Clinic.

Scalise is back, but unclear for how long - Roll Call

Scalise is back, but unclear for how long.

Posted: Thu, 14 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Search the People of the House

Like the Speaker of the House, the Minority Leaders are typically experienced lawmakers when they win election to this position. When Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, became Minority Leader in the 108th Congress, she had served in the House nearly 20 years and had served as minority whip in the 107th Congress. Gephardt's predecessor in the minority leadership position was Robert Michel, R-IL, who became GOP Leader in 1981 after spending 24 years in the House. Michel's predecessor, Republican John Rhodes of Arizona, was elected Minority Leader in 1973 after 20 years of House service. A look at one minority leadership strategy—partisan opposition—may suggest why it might be employed in specific circumstances. The purposes of obstruction are several, such as frustrating the majority party's ability to govern or attracting press and media attention to the alleged ineffectiveness of the majority party.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise says he is being treated for cancer

Another scholar contends that the minority leader position emerged even before 1883. "It is hard to believe that House partisans would place a man in the speakership when in the majority, and nominate him for this office when in the minority, and not look to him for legislative guidance."[28] This was not the case, according to some observers, with respect to ex-Speaker Keifer. Starting with Republican Nicholas Longworth in 1925 and continuing until 1995, all majority leaders have directly ascended to the Speakership after the incumbent surrenders the position.

Leading Republican Steve Scalise back at work after blood cancer treatment

In an exclusive update on his health this week, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise discussed with “EWTN News Nightly” the role prayer and his Catholic faith played in his recovery from blood cancer. While Scalise said that his cancer is treatable, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, multiple myeloma is "currently not curable, but we can manage the disease effectively for years." A blood test known as a complete blood count takes an inventory of the different types of blood cells. A sample of bone marrow or lymph node tissue (a biopsy) may be collected to examine in a lab.

In someone with multiple myeloma, these cancerous cells grow out of control, accumulating in the bone marrow and crowding out healthy blood cells. In addition, the minority leader has a number of other institutional functions. Informally, the minority leader maintains ties with majority party leaders to learn about the schedule and other House matters and forges agreements or understandings with them insofar as feasible.

"Unfortunately, if left untreated, myeloma cells can multiply and continue to grow in a person’s bone marrow. When left untreated, these cancer cells can limit the body’s ability to fight infection, cause kidney damage and lead to bone pain and debilitating fractures." Treatments exist that can help people manage the disease for many years, and drug companies are currently working on new treatment options. In June 2017, Scalise was almost killed when a gunman opened fire on a House Republican baseball practice at a field in Alexandria, Va., the day before the annual congressional baseball game. Scalise was first elected in 2008 and rose quickly through the Republican ranks in the House, serving as leader of the Republican Study Committee and as majority and minority whip before becoming majority leader this Congress.

Aftermath of Republican leadership elections

The minority party chooses not to take a position on an issue, perhaps because of intraparty divisions. On Oct. 3, McCarthy was voted out as speaker, becoming the first speaker in U.S. history to be removed from the role during a legislative session. E. Anders Kolb, M.D., President & CEO of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, told Insider in a statement that there is "currently no cure for this disease" but that "it is treatable if detected early enough." It remains unclear how early Scalise's cancer diagnosis was detected. “I spoke with him today and he’s in good spirits, as nothing—not a gunshot and certainly not cancer—will stop him from accomplishing what he sets his mind to,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R–Calif.) wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. About 35,000 new cases of multiple myeloma are diagnosed annually in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. Blood cancers (the other major types are leukemia and lymphoma) are easier to treat compared with cancers that form solid tumors, and they can sometimes be put into long-term remission.

The floor leaders and whips of each party are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door caucus by secret ballot.[3] The Speaker-presumptive is assumed to be the incoming Speaker, although not formally selected to be nominated for Speaker by the majority party's caucus. After this period, the Speaker-designate is also chosen in a closed-door session by the largest caucus although the Speaker is formally elevated to the position by a public vote of the entire House when Congress reconvenes. "After a few days of not feeling like myself this past week, I had some blood work done," the Louisiana Republican said in a statement. "The results uncovered some irregularities and after undergoing additional tests, I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a very treatable blood cancer." 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.

When lawmakers return to Capitol Hill in September, they will have limited time to pass a flurry of spending bills to avert a government shutdown. As majority leader, Scalise is responsible for scheduling the House floor and maintaining cohesion within the House Republican conference. Scalise, the No. 2 ranking House Republican, said he has started treatment and intends to continue to serve as majority leader when lawmakers return to Washington in September. As majority leader, Scalise is the second-highest-ranking Republican after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

Scalise's diagnosis comes six years after he was seriously injured when a gunman opened fire on a Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. Scalise was gravely wounded in the shooting, with his ability to move was severely affected — and now walks around the halls of the Capitol as the second-most powerful Republican in the House. Scalise said he has begun treatment, which will continue for "several months." The former systems engineer got his start in politics at Louisiana State University, where he was twice elected speaker of LSU's Student Government Association. He served as a member of Louisiana's state Legislature for 12 years before being elected to the U.S.

"I will tackle this with the same strength and energy as I have tackled past challenges." Scalise said he has "begun treatment, which will continue for the next several months." He added that he will work during the treatment period and plans to return to Washington, DC. After being shot, Scalise said the experience strengthened his support for gun rights and the second amendment. The gunman who shot Scalise during baseball practice was shot and killed by police.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, he said in a statement Tuesday, adding that he expects to work through his treatment. The malignant cells produce abnormal antibodies called M proteins, which don’t work properly and can damage the kidneys, said Louis Williams, a multiple myeloma expert at Cleveland Clinic. He said the body’s ability to make healthy blood cells also is affected, and bones can be weakened and break. 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.

The overall objectives are to develop a coordinated communications strategy, to share ideas and information, and to present a united front on issues. Minority leaders also make floor speeches and close debate on major issues before the House; they deliver addresses in diverse forums across the country, and they write books or articles that highlight minority party goals and achievements. They must also be prepared "to debate on the floor, ad lib, no notes, on a moment's notice," remarked Minority Leader Michel.[43] In brief, minority leaders are key strategists in developing and promoting the party's agenda and in outlining ways to neutralize the opposition's arguments and proposals. Scalise said he has been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer that forms in white blood cells called plasma cells. Scalise said he has begun treatment, and expects to work as he continues that treatment over the next several months.

Despite controversy tied to a past speech at a white supremacist conference (a speech he later called a “mistake”) and ties to racist leaders such as fellow Louisianan David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan leader, Scalise has risen through the Republican ranks. An autologous stem cell transplant refers to a procedure that uses your own cells to replace the damaged ones. The healthy cells are returned to the body after the patient undergoes chemotherapy or radiation. In allogeneic transplants, by contrast, the healthy cells are obtained from a donor. The Louisiana Republican underwent tests after "not feeling like myself this past week," he said in a statement.