Congressman Steve Scalise is considered one of the favorites to be the next speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and replace Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who was ousted in a House vote yesterday.
Scalise is already second in line to replace McCarty by virtue of his position as House Majority Leader. The House will wait until next week to select a new Speaker, returning to Washington Tuesday with the speaker’s election on Wednesday. That means maneuvering will take place this week and he and other potential Speakers look to shore up votes.
Tom Emmer, Kevin Hern and Jim Jordan are some of the other names who have been floated as possible candidates.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., is viewed by many rank-and-file Republicans as a natural “frontrunner,” one senior House GOP aide suggested.
Howerver, a major hurdle is Scalise’s health. He was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and has already undergone aggressive chemotherapy treatment.
It is likely a decision for him and his family to make. While there is no clear consensus yet, most of the conference would be “open” to Scalise as speaker, the aide said, adding that it was House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., who floated his name.
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Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., sang Scalise’s praises to Fox News Digital and pointed out that he was “well respected” by both Republicans and Democrats.
“I consider him a great friend, and I think he is one of the few people who can effectively lead with a narrow majority through the next 18 months and ultimately secure a larger Republican majority in November 2024,” Scott said.
His health is certainly a key issue and conservatives across the country prayed for the pro-life advocate after his cancer announcement.
“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. I have now begun treatment, which will continue for the next several months,” Scalise said in a statement.
“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. I am incredibly grateful we were able to detect this early and that this cancer is treatable. 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,” he added.
Scalise is a pro-life champion who has gone to bat for protections for unborn children time and time again over the years.
Earlier this year he said he would not stop fighting for legal protections for unborn children.
After 50 years of fighting to protect the unborn with peaceful marches, prayers, and legal and political battles, the pro-life movement finally saw our hard work and dedication come to fruition. Today, we celebrate that we get to say we live in a post-Roe America.
Since the Dobbs decision, nearly half of the states in the U.S. have passed strong protections against abortion, and it’s estimated that tens of thousands of babies have been saved. Now, we need to make those protections stronger throughout the nation.
This fight is far from over – Democrats across the country are still pushing for unlimited abortion funded by taxpayers. In January, House Democrats introduced a bill to allow federal funds to be used to cover abortions, and just this week, while we celebrate the advancement of human rights, Democrats doubled down on their extreme abortion agenda when they filed a discharge petition that would legalize abortion up until the moment of birth.
