North Shore Louisiana News

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) recently appeared on Fox News’ Fox & Friends to discuss his candidacy for Speaker of the House of Representatives. In the interview, Leader Scalise emphasized his experience as Republican Whip and Majority Leader, highlighting his ability to unify Republicans and pass major legislative wins.

One of Leader Scalise's top priorities as Speaker would be to secure America's border, which he claims the Biden Administration has left undefended amidst historic surges of illegal border crossings, record-high gottaways, and fentanyl deaths in communities across the country. He remarked, "Our border is not secure, and it is a major, major threat to our country. This has been a problem for years, and we've been highlighting it. We've passed bills out of the House to secure America's border, and [President] Biden's been ignoring this problem for way, way too long."

Leader Scalise also expressed concern about individuals on the terror watch list entering the United States through the southern border. He stated, "People on the terrorist watch list have been identified already coming across the border that have been caught. Imagine the ones we haven't caught on the terrorist watch list from very bad countries. This isn’t South and Central American countries we're talking about. Over 150 countries around the world, including Iran and other countries in the Middle East, who have come across our southern border because [President] Biden opened it up. It has to be closed. We have to protect the people here in the United States. It is a dangerous world. President Biden's made it more dangerous. We have to secure our border."

Regarding the Speaker race, Leader Scalise acknowledged that Congressman Kevin McCarthy stated he would not be running for Speaker of the House. However, he expressed the urgency of getting the House back to work, stating, "The Congress cannot work right now without a Speaker, but the world is still moving, and it's working, and it's moving in a very bad direction. We've got to get the House back to work."

Leader Scalise also mentioned his support from Members for Speaker of the House and expressed confidence in his ability to secure the necessary votes. He said, "Our momentum has been growing. I feel like we have the votes to do it. And not only do it, [but] to do it today, to go upstairs on the House Floor, get 218 votes, and then get back to work for the people who elected us."

In terms of uniting House Republicans, Leader Scalise highlighted his track record of putting together coalitions to achieve major policy goals. He stated, "I'm a passionate conservative, but [one who] knows how to put coalitions together, to do big things, to go fight for those families who are struggling." He emphasized the importance of bringing groups together to focus on a mission of getting the country back on track.

When asked about the possibility of having a new Speaker this week, Leader Scalise expressed confidence, saying, "I am very confident we will. Yes."

In conclusion, Leader Steve Scalise discussed his candidacy for Speaker of the House and emphasized his experience in unifying Republicans and securing America's border. He expressed confidence in his ability to secure the necessary votes and unite House Republicans to get the country back on track.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/Leader-Scalise-Discusses-The-House-Speaker-Race%2C-The-Border%2C-%26-Israel