Current:Home > MarketsNo. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise returns to the Capitol after his blood cancer diagnosis-LoTradeCoin
No. 2 House Republican Steve Scalise returns to the Capitol after his blood cancer diagnosis
View Date:2024-12-23 22:49:58
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Steve Scalise, the No. 2 House Republican, returned to the U.S. Capitol on Thursday for the first time since being diagnosed with a blood cancer known as multiple myeloma and told reporters his chemotherapy treatment is underway.
“It’s kind of a few months process. They don’t know yet how long it’s going to be — four months, six months — but they want to continue to evaluate and say, ‘OK, how’s he doing? How’s the treatment?’ The treatments are going well so far,” said Scalise, who was taking precautions to protect his immune system and wore a face mask and stood back from reporters as he entered the Capitol building.
The Louisiana congressman, 57, said he would be able to receive some of the chemotherapy treatment in Washington and continue his work in Congress, where he was limiting his in-person interactions.
Scalise’s cancer diagnosis comes at a fraught moment for House Republicans, who are trying to avert a government shutdown while also launching an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
“Obviously there’s a lot going on,” Scalise said. “There always is. But, you know, the main focus is on my health.”
Scalise said his diagnosis came after his wife urged him to visit the doctor three weeks ago when his appetite dropped while he was traveling for political events. He said the diagnosis was made quickly and his wife and he decided they wanted to be “very aggressive” in treating the multiple myeloma.
Scalise was among those wounded in 2017 when a gunman attacked lawmakers at a baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. The congressman was shot in the hip and was hospitalized, and he underwent a painful rehabilitation.
veryGood! (927)
Related
- Pennsylvania House Republicans pick new floor leader after failing to regain majority
- Gypsy Rose Blanchard is free, reflects on prison term for conspiring to kill her abusive mother
- Cardi B Sets the Record Straight on Her and Offset's Relationship Status After New Year's Eve Reunion
- These jobs saw the biggest pay hikes across the U.S. in 2023
- Kevin Costner Shares His Honest Reaction to John Dutton's Controversial Fate on Yellowstone
- Prosecutors recommend six months in prison for a man at the center of a Jan. 6 conspiracy theory
- Israel on alert for possible Hezbollah response after senior Hamas leader is killed in Beirut strike
- 'You Are What You Eat': Meet the twins making changes to their diet in Netflix experiment
- Suspected shooter and four others are found dead in three Kansas homes, police say
- Body of missing Florida woman found in retention pond after nearly 12 years, volunteer divers say
Ranking
- Republican David Schweikert wins reelection in affluent Arizona congressional district
- Are you there Greek gods? It's me, 'Percy Jackson'
- Questions on artificial intelligence and a budget deficit await returning California lawmakers
- Biden will start the year at sites of national trauma to warn about dire stakes of the 2024 election
- Demure? Brain rot? Oxford announces shortlist for 2024 Word of the Year: Cast your vote
- Bachelor Nation's Bryan Abasolo Breaks Silence on Difficult Decision to Divorce Rachel Lindsay
- Missouri governor bans Chinese and Russian companies from buying land near military sites
- Gun restriction bills on tap in Maine Legislature after state’s deadliest mass shooting
Recommendation
-
Where you retire could affect your tax bill. Here's how.
-
She had a panic attack during preterm labor. Then a nurse stepped in
-
Dry January tips, health benefits and terms to know — whether you're a gray-area drinker or just sober curious
-
How to Watch the 2024 Golden Globes Ceremony on TV and Online
-
10 Trendy Bags To Bring to All of Your Holiday Plans
-
Zvi Zamir, ex-Mossad chief who warned of impending 1973 Mideast war, dies at 98
-
Should I get paid for work drug testing? Can I be fired for my politics? Ask HR
-
Looking to get more exercise? Here's how much you need to be walking each day.