Scalise returns to the Hill for first time since cancer diagnosis

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise returned to work on Capitol Hill for the first time Thursday following his cancer diagnosis late last month.

Mr. Scalise, Louisiana Republican, has been undergoing chemotherapy treatments since being diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.

Mr. Scalise said he and his doctors have been working on how to best approach his remedy. He noted that treatments do not always have to be inpatient affairs, so he could be cared for in his office.

“Today was the first day where they said we’re comfortable with you going back,” said Mr. Scalise, 57. “And I think, you know, they’re gonna continue to gauge to make sure I follow my protocols and we see a positive response from chemotherapy treatments that I’ve been taking.”

The No. 2 House Republican’s return to the office comes at a crucial time for House leaders struggling to rally support for spending measures from the House Freedom Caucus ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government.

House leadership on Wednesday punted a procedural vote on the annual defense spending bill, which is typically a layup for the GOP to advance, because of infighting in the Republican conference.

Members of the conservative caucus have stood in strong opposition to advancing spending bills without first seeing what the overall spending levels will be.

Adding to the conflict is whether those topline numbers will be satisfactory to the Freedom Caucus, which wants to see significant cuts in spending below the caps set in the debt-ceiling deal.

Conservatives also will not support a continuing resolution, which would keep the government open beyond Oct. 1, unless their demands are met to reduce spending and include a previously passed measure to secure the U.S./Mexico border.

“The votes aren’t there for everything right now, but we’re still having discussions to see if we can get some of the additional appropriations bills passed, but we just got to keep having conversations,” Mr. Scalise said.