House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) will return to the House next week after being absent for more than a month due to medical treatments related to his multiple myeloma diagnosis.
Scalise has “successfully completed” his stem cell treatment and has been cleared to travel back to Washington, D.C., for his duties, his office announced on Thursday. The majority leader will be back in the House when lawmakers return for votes on Tuesday.
“He is in complete remission,” his office said in a statement. “He is thankful for his positive prognosis, and for the support of his medical team, family, colleagues, and fellow Louisianans.”
Scalise’s return means the House is poised to try again at impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Republicans have a slim three-seat majority that has become even more precarious with the majority leader’s leave over the last month. His absence was especially felt earlier this week after the failed Mayorkas impeachment vote.
The vote stood at a stalemate for several minutes when only Republicans opposed the resolution, which brought the total vote count to 215-215.
The unusual tally was due in part to Democrats managing full attendance with the reemergence of Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who has been absent since December because of his presidential campaign, and Rep. Al Green (D-TX), who traveled from the hospital to be present for the vote.
Republicans were unable to overcome the vote deadlock due to Scalise’s absence, making them one vote short to overcome their deficit.
House leaders said they’ll try again at impeachment when they have the votes. While the date has not yet been announced, House Democrats have told their members to prepare for Tuesday as the second-chance vote.
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who sponsored the impeachment resolution, indicated that the party’s strategy would be to wait for Scalise’s return to bring the resolution back to the floor.
“We look forward to having [Scalise] come back,” she said, “and we look forward to him being a solid yes.”
