After surviving severe health battles, will the personal toll finally push this veteran lawmaker out of Washington entirely?

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It is possible, but there is no sign Steve Scalise has decided to leave Washington entirely. Scalise said Wednesday there is “no decision on what’s next” after losing the House Republican leadership race to Jim Jordan, and he made clear his immediate focus is the lame-duck session. He also said he still has “a great passion for this country” and “a lot more gas in the tank,” which suggests retirement is being weighed, not chosen. His personal history makes the question more serious than a routine post-election calculation. Scalise survived the 2017 congressional baseball shooting, an attack that left him with lasting health complications, and in 2023 he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Reports indicate the cancer went into remission in January 2024. Those episodes, combined with years in leadership, have plainly shaped his thinking. What may matter most now is not only health, but role. Scalise has spent more than a decade in senior leadership positions and acknowledged that those jobs take heavy time and focus away from family. He said stepping back could mean more time for his wife and two children and other pursuits at home. That makes a full retirement plausible, but it also leaves open a middle course: remaining in Congress as a rank-and-file lawmaker rather than staying in leadership. So the evidence points to uncertainty, not imminent exit. After major health battles and a leadership defeat, Scalise appears to be deciding whether public service is best continued i…

Scalise Won't Commit to Full 120th Congress Term After 106-73 Leadership Loss

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Scalise Won't Commit to Full 120th Congress Term After 106-73 Leadership Loss

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