Steve Scalise, the second most powerful Republican in the US House of Representatives, has announced he is being treated for cancer.
The House Majority leader said he had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer.
“I expect to work through this period and intend to return to Washington,” the Louisiana lawmaker said.
The 57-year-old survived a mass shooting in 2017 and underwent an extensive recovery.
“I am incredibly grateful we were able to detect this early and that this cancer is treatable,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
“I am thankful for my excellent medical team, and with the help of God, support of my family, friends, colleagues, and constituents, I will tackle this with the same strength and energy as I have tackled past challenges.”
Mr Scalise was elected to the US Congress in 2008 and has steadily risen through the ranks of Republican leadership.
He is currently right-hand man to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and his job is to keep the chamber’s conservative majority in line. (BBC)
