Scalise’s cancer diagnosis cited as concern among GOP amid speaker fight

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s (R-LA) health and recent cancer diagnosis have been cited by Republican lawmakers as a reason not to support him as he eyes the speakership, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said on Thursday.

Scalise was nominated as the GOP speaker candidate after a closed-door meeting on Tuesday afternoon, emerging victorious in a 113-99 vote over Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). Despite his win, several GOP lawmakers have come out in opposition to a Scalise speakership, vowing not to support the Louisiana Republican when the matter comes to the full floor for a vote.

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“It is a concern for a lot of members. It is part of the reason why I think he’s having trouble getting to 217,” Roy told conservative radio host Glenn Beck.

The conversations come one month after Scalise announced his diagnosis of the blood cancer known as multiple myeloma. The Louisiana Republican has since begun chemotherapy treatments while still serving as majority leader but is now often seen wearing a mask and taking other precautions because of his health.

Roy, who endorsed Jordan before the intraparty vote, has already said he would not support Scalise’s bid and would instead work to secure Jordan enough votes to win the speakership himself, making things more complicated as the House scrambles to elect a new leader.

“I think we need a fundamental shift, a trajectory shift, and that’s why I’m still backing Jim,” Roy said. “I don’t think Steve has the votes and I want us to try to make a good-faith effort to get Jim the votes and much much more.”

More than a dozen other House Republicans have come out in opposition to Scalise, prompting GOP leaders to postpone the full speaker vote until he could shore up enough support. Several of those holdout members have vowed to continue voting for Jordan, with a handful citing Scalise’s health as part of the reason why.

“I like Steve Scalise, and I like him so much that I want to see him defeat cancer more than sacrifice his health in the most difficult position in Congress,” Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “I lost my father to cancer and it’s a very serious battle. We need a speaker who is able to put their full efforts into defeating the communist democrats and save America.”

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However, Jordan has come out in support of Scalise’s nomination and plans to vote for him on the House floor. He is encouraging colleagues to do the same, even offering to give the majority leader a nominating speech on the House floor as a way to convince any holdouts, according to a source familiar.

Scalise can only afford to lose four votes because Democrats are expected to vote for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), setting the stage for a multiround election similar to the one lawmakers experienced in January when it took Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) 15 rounds to secure the leadership position.