Steve Scalise facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steve Scalise
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Official portrait, 2019
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| House Majority Leader | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 |
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| Speaker | |
| Preceded by | Steny Hoyer |
| House Minority Whip | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Leader | Kevin McCarthy |
| Preceded by | Steny Hoyer |
| Succeeded by | Katherine Clark |
| House Majority Whip | |
| In office August 1, 2014 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Speaker | |
| Preceded by | Kevin McCarthy |
| Succeeded by | Jim Clyburn |
| Chair of the Republican Study Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2013 – August 1, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Jordan |
| Succeeded by | Rob Woodall |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 1st district |
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| Assumed office May 3, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Bobby Jindal |
| Member of the Louisiana Senate from the 9th district |
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| In office January 14, 2008 – May 6, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Ken Hollis |
| Succeeded by | Conrad Appel |
| Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the 82nd district |
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| In office January 8, 1996 – January 14, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Quentin Dastugue |
| Succeeded by | Cameron Henry |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Stephen Joseph Scalise
October 6, 1965 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Jennifer Letulle
(m. 2005) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Louisiana State University (BS) |
Stephen Joseph Scalise (born October 6, 1965) is an American politician. He is currently the House majority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has represented Louisiana's 1st congressional district since 2008. Scalise is a member of the Republican Party.
Before becoming Majority Leader, he held other important roles. He was the House majority whip from 2014 to 2019. Then he served as the House minority whip from 2019 to 2023. He was also a state senator and state representative in Louisiana.
In 2017, Steve Scalise was seriously injured in a shooting incident. This happened during a practice for the annual Congressional Baseball Game. He recovered and returned to Congress a few months later. In October 2023, he was nominated by Republicans to be Speaker of the House. However, he later withdrew his name.
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Early Life and Education
Steve Scalise was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was one of three children. His father, Alfred Joseph Scalise, was a real estate broker. His mother is Carol Schilleci.
His great-grandparents came to the United States from Italy in the late 1800s. Scalise went to Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie. He then attended Louisiana State University (LSU) in Baton Rouge. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science. He also studied political science.
Political Career in Louisiana
Scalise began his political career in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He was first elected in 1995 to represent District 82. He was re-elected twice and served until 2007.
In 2007, he was elected to the District 9 seat in the Louisiana State Senate. He served there for a short time. His aide, Cameron Henry, took over his seat in the state House.
U.S. House of Representatives
Becoming a U.S. Representative
Scalise first ran for the 1st congressional district seat in 2004. He stepped aside to support Bobby Jindal, who won. In 2007, when Jindal became governor, Scalise ran again. This time, he received support from the Republican party.
He was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives on May 7, 2008. He has been re-elected several times since then.
Key Roles and Committees
As a U.S. Representative, Scalise has served on important committees. These include the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce. He has also been part of the Republican Study Committee.
Important Votes and Actions
In 2013, Scalise voted against renewing the Violence Against Women Act. He also sponsored a bill to combine several reports from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
In 2017, he voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. He said this bill would help "hard-working families."
Leadership in the House
In 2014, Scalise became the House Majority Whip. This role helps organize votes and keep party members together. He was the first person from Louisiana to be Majority Whip since 1971.
After the 2018 elections, Republicans lost their majority in the House. Scalise was then elected as the House Minority Whip. This made him the second-highest-ranking Republican in the House.
2020 Election and Capitol Attack
On January 6, 2021, Scalise voted against confirming the election results for Arizona and Pennsylvania. He later condemned the Capitol attack, calling it terrorism.
In May 2021, he voted against creating a special commission. This commission would have investigated the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Becoming House Majority Leader
In 2023, the House Republican Conference chose Scalise to be the House Majority Leader. He was the only candidate for this position. This role makes him a very important leader in the House.
2023 Speaker of the House Election
In October 2023, Kevin McCarthy was removed as Speaker of the House. House Republicans then chose Scalise as their candidate for Speaker. However, he did not get enough votes from his party members. He decided to withdraw his name from consideration.
Political Views
Immigration
Scalise supported a 2017 order by President Donald Trump. This order temporarily stopped people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. He said it was important to be careful about who enters the country to prevent terrorism.
Health Care
Scalise is against the Affordable Care Act. He supported a court ruling that said the law was unconstitutional.
Gun Laws
Scalise has been against stricter gun control laws. He has received high ratings and support from the NRA Political Victory Fund.
In 2018, he supported a bill to improve school safety. This bill would provide money to train students, teachers, and police. It would also help schools improve their security.
Environment
Scalise does not agree with the widely accepted scientific view on climate change. He has stated that scientists predicted global cooling in the 1970s, which is not accurate.
Other Notable Events
Speech at a Convention
In 2002, Scalise spoke at a convention for a group called the European-American Unity and Rights Organization (EURO). This group was founded by David Duke. When this became public in 2014, Scalise said he did not know the group's "racist nature." He apologized for speaking to them, saying it was a mistake. He stated that he strongly opposes the group's views.
Doctored Video Incident
In 2020, Scalise shared a video that was changed to make it seem like activist Ady Barkan was asking about "defunding police." The video made it look like presidential candidate Joe Biden agreed. Barkan asked Scalise to remove the video. Scalise later deleted the video.
Personal Life
Steve Scalise is a Roman Catholic. He married Jennifer Ann Letulle in 2005. They have two children.
In August 2023, Scalise announced he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of cancer. He said the cancer was found early and was very treatable. He returned to work in September 2023 and began chemotherapy.
See also
In Spanish: Steve Scalise para niños
