BREAKING: Doctors Make Tragic Announcement About Steve Scalise – Please Pray!
Capitol Hill was awash with emotion Thursday as lawmakers anxiously waited for updates about their wounded colleague Rep. Steve Scalise, the House majority whip shot Wednesday during a congressional baseball practice.
Lawmakers tried to stay optimistic, arguing that the affable Louisiana Republican congressman is a fighter and will pull through this dark hour. But often times their fear for his well-being broke through when they least expected it.
While exiting the House chamber Thursday afternoon, for instance, Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), talked calmly and collectedly about showing “solidarity” with the shooting victims at the congressional baseball game Thursday night. But when asked if Scalise would be on her mind during the event, her professional demeanor crumbled and her face crunched into a pained look.
“It’s…” she trailed off as she started to cry. “I can’t speak about it. I’m so torn up.”
Scalise underwent his third surgery Thursday and remained in critical condition at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. The bullet had fractured bones and torn through internal organs, according to a hospital statement late Wednesday night. And Scalise, who suffered severe blood loss, had multiple units of blood transfusions.
According to sources familiar with Scalise’s condition, the third surgery was routine for gunshot victims with doctors checking the work they had performed the night before. But that didn’t keep members on the Hill from worrying about him all Thursday.
Lawmakers who had read the hospitals’ statement and seen the looks on leadership’s faces grappled with the severity of Scalise’s condition. Some Republicans even speculating that Scalise could be out commission for some time.
“He’s in for a long rehab… He has a long way to go,” said Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas), the first baseman for the team who witnessed the shooting. He later added: “Steve physically is a very tough guy. Mentally, he’s tough, so that will help his recovery.”
President Donald Trump, who visited Scalise on Wednesday night, said midday Thursday that the lawmaker was “in some trouble” but a “great fighter.”
“It’s been much more difficult than people even thought at the time. It’s been — he’s in some trouble, but he is a great fighter and he is going to be OK, we hope,” he announced at a White House event. He added that, “I have a feeling that Steve has made a great sacrifice, but there could be some unity being brought to our country. Let’s hope so.”
Speaker Paul Ryan and his leadership team called an emergency conference Thursday morning to give lawmakers an update. Several sources in the room said leadership told them Scalise was likely in surgery at that very moment. But beyond that and a brief discussion of the hospital statement released Wednesday night, leadership did not give additional details on his condition or prognosis.