House Majority Leader Steve Scalise will undergo a stem cell transplant, his office announced on Friday, which is expected to keep him out of Washington and working remotely until February.
In August 2023, the Louisiana Republican announced that he had been diagnosed with a form of blood cancer and had started treatment.
At the start of the new year, Republicans control just 220 seats while Democrats control 213, a narrow majority that means the House GOP can afford only a few defections on party-line priorities. That majority is poised to shrink even further by the end of the month with Ohio GOP Rep. Bill Johnson set to resign on January 21 to take a new job as president of Youngstown State University.
“Last month, Leader Scalise successfully completed induction chemotherapy and had a positive response. It has now been determined he is eligible for an autologous stem cell transplant,” the statement from Scalise’s office said.
The statement went on to say, “He is currently undergoing the transplant process, marking a significant milestone in his battle against cancer. Once the procedure is completed, he will be recovering under the supervision of his medical team and will work remotely until returning to Washington next month.”
In August, Scalise said that he had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, which he described as “a very treatable blood cancer.”
Scalise is no stranger to health issues and adversity. He survived a shooting in 2017 at an early-morning practice ahead of a charity baseball game that left him in critical condition.
“I am definitely a living example that miracles really do happen,” Scalise said following his return to Capitol Hill at the time.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Correction: This story has been corrected to reflect that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise announced his diagnosis in August.