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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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. |
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| Political party | Republican | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse |
Jennifer Letulle
(m. 2005) |
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| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Louisiana State University (BS) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stephen Joseph Scalise (born October 6, 1965) is an American politician. He is the House majority leader and a U.S. representative for Louisiana's 1st congressional district. As a member of the Republican Party, he helps lead his party in the United States House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives is one of the two parts of the U.S. Congress, where laws are made. Scalise's job as majority leader is to help schedule bills for votes and guide his party's plans. Before this, he was the House majority whip and minority whip, roles that involve making sure party members vote together on important issues.
In 2017, Scalise was seriously injured in a shooting at a practice for a charity baseball game. He spent months recovering before returning to Congress. His district in Louisiana includes many suburbs of New Orleans.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Steve Scalise was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was one of three children of Alfred and Carol Scalise. His great-grandparents came to the United States from Italy in the late 1800s.
He went to Archbishop Rummel High School in a suburb of New Orleans. Later, he attended Louisiana State University (LSU). He graduated with a degree in computer science and also studied political science.
Political Career
Louisiana State Government
Scalise began his political career in his home state of Louisiana. In 1995, he was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives. He served there for three terms, until 2007.
In 2007, he was elected to the Louisiana State Senate. He only served for a few months because a seat opened up in the U.S. Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives
In 2008, Scalise won a special election to represent Louisiana's 1st district in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has been reelected by the voters in his district many times since then.
As a representative, Scalise has served on several important committees. These include the Committee on Energy and Commerce, which deals with issues like energy, health, and technology. He was also the top Republican on a special committee that looked into the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Republican Leadership
Scalise became a leader among Republicans in the House. In 2014, his fellow Republicans elected him as the House Majority Whip. A whip's job is to count votes and encourage party members to support their party's position on bills.
After the 2018 elections, Republicans were no longer the majority party in the House. Scalise then became the House Minority Whip, the number two leadership role for his party.
In 2023, Republicans regained the majority, and Scalise was elected House Majority Leader. This is the second-most powerful position in the House for the party in charge.
Attempt to Become Speaker of the House
In October 2023, the position of Speaker of the House became vacant. House Republicans voted to nominate Scalise for the job over another candidate, Jim Jordan.
To become Speaker, a person needs to win a vote from the entire House of Representatives. Scalise realized he did not have enough votes to win. He withdrew his name from consideration a day after being nominated.
2017 Congressional Baseball Practice Shooting
On June 14, 2017, Scalise was at a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia. He was practicing with other Republican members of Congress for the yearly Congressional Baseball Game, which raises money for charity.
A man with a rifle began shooting at the players. Scalise was shot in the hip and was very seriously injured. Three other people were also hurt in the attack. The shooter was killed by police at the scene.
Scalise was taken to a hospital in critical condition. He had several surgeries and spent many weeks in the hospital and in rehabilitation. He returned to the House of Representatives on September 28, 2017, where he was welcomed with a standing ovation.
Political Views
Scalise is known for his conservative political views.
- Gun Policy: He is a strong supporter of gun rights and has an "A+" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund. Even after being shot, he said that new laws often make it harder for law-abiding citizens to own guns without stopping criminals.
- Health Care: Scalise opposes the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He voted for a bill in 2017 that would have replaced parts of the ACA.
- Environment: He has questioned the scientific agreement on climate change.
- Immigration: He supported President Donald Trump's 2017 order that temporarily stopped people from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. He said it was important to be careful about who enters the country.
Personal Life
Scalise is a Catholic. He married his wife, Jennifer, in 2005. They have two children, a son and a daughter.
In August 2023, Scalise announced that he had been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. He said the cancer was found early and was very treatable. He began treatment and was able to continue his work in Congress.
See also
In Spanish: Steve Scalise para niños
- List of United States Congress members killed or wounded in office
