Scalise returns to government spending fight amid cancer treatment

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) returned to Capitol Hill this week after receiving cancer treatment, meeting with other GOP leaders as lawmakers scramble to avert a government shutdown just three days before federal funding is set to lapse.

Scalise gave a health update to GOP colleagues on Wednesday morning, detailing his chemotherapy treatments just one month after announcing his diagnosis of the blood cancer known as Multiple Myeloma. The Louisiana Republican said the treatments have been successful, noting his cancer “has dropped dramatically.”

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“Thank God those prayers have been answered,” Scalise said. “We’re continuing to follow my doctor’s advice, and my doctor said you can come back to work, and that’s why I’m here.”

Scalise returned to the Capitol at a crucial time for House Republicans as they seek to advance a number of appropriations bills and a temporary spending bill before the government is set to shut come Oct. 1. Scalise was absent for two votes last week which resulted in the defense spending bill to fail twice, sending House leaders into a frenzy to get all corners of their conference on board.

Lawmakers voted 216-212 to begin debate on four appropriations bills, teeing the legislation up for final votes as early as this week. The vote comes after weeks of negotiations between House leaders and hard-line conservatives on how to move forward with spending legislation.

However, it remains unclear whether the batch of appropriations will actually pass the lower chamber as a handful of House Republicans have expressed opposition to some of the provisions included.

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McCarthy said the House would begin voting on appropriations bills on Wednesday and Thursday, with plans to bring some sort of continuing resolution or temporary spending measure to the floor by Friday, a move several hard-line conservatives have opposed. McCarthy unveiled a proposal during a GOP conference meeting last week that would set a top line for a continuing resolution at $1.471 trillion and included H.R. 2, the House’s border security bill, and a fiscal commission to look at how to reduce the government’s debt.

At least nine Republicans voiced their opposition to the continuing resolution last week and over the weekend, making it unlikely to pass the lower chamber without Democratic support. As a result, some centrist Republicans have entered into talks with Democrats for a possible bipartisan deal, which could pose a challenge to McCarthy, whose speakership is being threatened by some on his right flank if he attempts to work with those on the other side of the aisle.