House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., credits God and his Catholic faith with playing huge roles in his recovery from blood cancer.
Scalise returned to Congress in mid-February after completing treatment for multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. He underwent chemotherapy for four months and was isolated for six weeks due to a stem-cell transplant.
"For so many people that are watching, that said prayers and offered just true, genuine support, I can't thank everybody enough — because you feel that when you're going through things," Scalise said on Tuesday's "EWTN News Nightly."
"And thank God, God performed a lot of miracles and answered a lot of prayers."
Scalise was asked what he would tell someone battling cancer or another serious illness.
"God gives you the strength to get through it," he said. "He puts people around you — and recognize that it's not just God himself in the flesh, it's doctors and friends and other people that are in your life that can help you get through those tough times.
"God gives you a lot of different signals and tools, and use every single one of them."
The No. 2 Republican in the U.S. House said his cancer is in remission. He added he was "very blessed" doctors caught the cancer early enough and that the treatments worked.
Scalise also relied on his faith in 2017, when he almost died after being shot by a progressive activist, but he said the experience "strengthened" his faith.
"His intent was to kill all of us on that ball field," Scalise told EWTN News correspondent Erik Rosales of the shooter. "Again, God performed miracles that day — [there's] no other way to explain some of the things that happened.
"When I got to the hospital, one of my doctor's said, 'I didn't even have another minute to spare.' "
Scalise said the adversity has strengthened his faith.
"It also put a different focus on what is really important in life," he said. "I said, 'I've got to put this in God's hands.' I said some really direct prayers to God, asked him for some heady things. I started thinking about my young kids, my daughter, and wanted to make sure I could go to her wedding."
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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