Scalise's cancer treatment emerges as GOP roadblock

Scalise’s cancer treatment emerges as GOP roadblock

Oct 12, 2023

Some of the holdouts on Steve Scalise’s bid for speaker are citing his battle with cancer as part of the reason for their opposition.

“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,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), one of those holdouts, told Glenn Beck in a radio interview.

Roy indicated he would continue to support Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) for speaker, though he noted his differences with Scalise are “not significant.”

“For me, the next man up mentality, the ‘hey, let’s just do another person who has been in Washington for 20 years,’ the majority leader and boom, you’re the speaker, as opposed to somebody who’s not really of the swamp,” Roy said. “We need a trajectory change.”

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who’s also indicated she won’t support Scalise, voiced similar sentiments earlier in the week.

“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,” she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We need a Speaker who is able to put their full efforts into defeating the communist democrats and save America.”

Context: Scalise has forcefully argued he’s winning his battle with cancer and is up to the job. “If the doctors didn’t sign off, I wouldn’t be doing this,” he said earlier this week.

Jordain Carney contributed.

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