House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is in remission after completing cancer treatment and is expected to return to the House this week as lawmakers prepare for their second attempt to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
Scalise is in “complete remission” nearly six months after being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer, in August. The majority leader has been absent from the House over the last month to continue receiving treatment but announced last week he would be returning to Capitol Hill.
“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 on Thursday. “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.”
His return comes as lawmakers are set to reconvene on Tuesday and once again consider an impeachment resolution to charge Mayorkas with high crimes and misdemeanors over his handling of the southern border. That resolution is up for a vote as early as Tuesday, according to a whip notice sent to lawmakers last week.
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 last week after Republicans failed to impeach Mayorkas due to a handful of GOP defections.
The failure 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.
Their votes, combined with three GOP “no” votes, brought the total vote count to 215-215, and it stood at a stalemate for several minutes until GOP Vice Chairman Blake Moore (R-UT) flipped his vote as a procedural move to reconsider the legislation at a later time.
Republicans were unable to overcome the vote deadlock due to Scalise’s absence, making them one vote short to overcome their deficit.
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.
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“We look forward to having [Scalise] come back,” she said. “And we look forward to him being a solid yes.”
If the impeachment resolution is successful this time around, Mayorkas will become only the second Cabinet member to be impeached and the first since 1876. However, it’s likely the Biden administration official will be acquitted by the Democratic-led Senate.
