House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) is in “complete remission” after treatment for blood cancer and will return to Washington for votes next week after an extended absence, his office announced Thursday.
“Leader Scalise has successfully completed his autologous stem cell treatment and has been medically cleared to resume travel,” Scalise’s office said in a statement. “He is in complete remission and will be returning to Washington next week for votes. He is thankful for his positive prognosis, and for the support of his medical team, family, colleagues, and fellow Louisianans.”
Scalise’s return will likely give House Republicans the votes they need to approve articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
The Mayorkas articles were defeated in stunning fashion Tuesday after Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) was wheeled into the vote in hospital scrubs after emergency surgery, changing the math so the three Republican defections meant a tie-vote failure instead of passing by one vote. If Scalise had been present, the articles would have been approved, even with the three Republican defections.
GOP leaders have said they will bring up the Mayorkas impeachment articles again when they have the votes to do so.
Scalise, 58, announced in August he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a “very treatable” blood cancer.
He has been absent from Congress since early January as he underwent a stem cell transplant.