Scales said he started treatment for “highly treatable leukemia.”
Aug 29, 2023 at 11:27 am
House Majority Leader Steve Scales announced Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with “highly treatable leukemia” and has begun treatment.
“After a few days of not feeling like myself last week, I had a few blood tests,” the Louisiana Republican said in a statement. “The results revealed some irregularities and after additional testing, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a highly treatable blood cancer.”
Scalise said the treatment will continue for the next several months, and he expects to return to Washington and continue serving as the No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives.
“I am so grateful that we were able to detect this early and that this cancer is treatable,” Scales said. “I am grateful for my excellent medical team, and with God’s help and support of my family, friends, colleagues and constituents, I will approach this with the same strength and energy that I have dealt with previous challenges.”
US House Majority Leader, Rep. Steve Scales, speaks to reporters during a news conference after the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) at the US Capitol, on July 14, 2023, in Washington.
Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images
Congress is currently in August recess. House members are scheduled to return to Capitol Hill on Sept. 12.
Colleagues on both sides of the aisle immediately expressed their good wishes to Scalise after the announcement.
“Steve is as strong and gentle as they are, and he has overcome unbeatable odds,” House Republican Convention Chair Elise Stefanik wrote on social media. “The legend from Louisiana is loved by his teammates and America and we know he will take this next fight with the same determination.”
Scalise has served in Louisiana’s 1st congressional district since 2008 and was elected Majority Leader after Republicans regained majority control of the House in the 2022 midterm elections.
The congressman had previously recovered from life-threatening injuries after a gunman opened fire at a congressional baseball practice in 2017.
Scalise injured his hip and had a series of surgeries to recover.
“I think about how lucky we all are, lucky to be alive,” Scalise told Fox News during this year’s congressional baseball game.
This article originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
