House Majority Whip Steve Scalise is improving, hospital says
WASHINGTON- House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) is slowly recovering following extensive medical treatment after having been shot in the hip, according to a statement released by Washington MedStar Hospital.
“Congressman Steve Scalise continues to make good progress. He is now listed in fair condition and is beginning an extended period of healing and rehabilitation,” the hospital said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
Scalise last Wednesday was shot at a Republican baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia. A congressional aide, a lobbyist, and two U.S. Capitol Police officers assigned to protect Scalise also were shot.
Police killed the shooter.
During the past week Scalise has undergone several surgeries and blood transfusions.
The Congressman’s surgeon told reporters on Friday that the Congressman was steadily improving and could possibly be released within the next few weeks.
The Scalise shooting has reignited debate on Capitol Hill as to whether members of Congress receive sufficient protection.
Members are generally not entitled to a protective detail unless they are elected to a leadership position. However in some cases there has been a security detail for members who do not hold leadership positions, but it’s rare.
The United States Capitol Police are responsible for protecting all 535 lawmakers when Congress is in session but members generally do not receive protection when they return home.
This article is republished with permission from Talk Media News
Bryan is an award-winning political journalist who has extensive experience covering Congress and Maryland state government.
His work includes coverage of the election of Donald Trump, the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and attorneys general William Barr and Jeff Sessions-as well as that of the Maryland General Assembly, Gov. Larry Hogan, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bryan has broken stories involving athletic and sexual assault scandals with the Baltimore Post-Examiner.
His original UMBC investigation gained international attention, was featured in People Magazine and he was interviewed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” and local radio stations. Bryan broke subsequent stories documenting UMBC’s omission of a sexual assault on their daily crime log and a federal investigation related to the university’s handling of an alleged sexual assault.