Bloomberg Government: A ‘Stabilizing Force’ in the House, Scalise Wrangles DOGE Votes

Both would be victories for Scalise, a conservative who’s the most experienced negotiator on a House GOP leadership team that has otherwise turned over completely since Trump’s first term.

During the interview, he talked through his strategy for managing major legislation: hearing out members concerns and engaging the White House for help.

“I was just talking to a member on the floor that has some very valid questions,” about rescissions, said Scalise, adding he needs to “talk to the executive branch today to get the right person to call this member.”

“I think he’ll be fine. Right now he’s not. I’m very confident he’ll be a yes vote come Thursday,” when the rescissions bill is expected on the floor.

Scalise is increasingly seen as an elder statesman in the party, one who was first elected when George W. Bush was president and moved into leadership in 2014. While his home state colleague, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) often takes the spotlight, it’s the majority leader who many in the caucus see as having the know-how to move Trump’s priorities.

“He is a stabilizing force; he clearly understands the conference from one end to another,” said leadership ally Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), who called Scalise an “asset” to the speaker. “He understands the intersection of politics and policy.”
…
 
“This is probably the tightest knit leadership team I’ve been in,” Scalise said. “We all trust each other. We all are focused on the same mission.”

The majority leader’s backers say he commands respect from the conference in part because of the health challenges he’s overcome. He last year announced remission from multiple myeloma blood cancer. In 2017, Scalise was shot and severely wounded at a congressional baseball practice by an ideologically-motivated attacker.

Trump and Scalise too remain close, a bond developed after Scalise’s shooting. Like many in the conference, Scalise has never broken with Trump and channels the conference’s no-holds-barred support of the president’s controversial positions.

“The president’s going to do his job, even if Gavin Newsom won’t do his,” Scalise said of Trump’s legally challenged decision to send the National Guard into Los Angeles protests without the governor’s request.
…
 
Scalise is a natural choice to lead Trump’s proposed rescissions. McCarthy had the same job in 2017 as the House Republican leader, though he had the luxury of losing 19 votes.

This time, Republicans can only lose a handful of votes. It might not be as hard as passing the House budget and the chamber’s version of reconciliation earlier this year. 

Hardline fiscal hawks — regularly GOP leaders’ biggest headache — are on board with the cuts. The objections mainly come from swing-district moderates who fear losing their seats because of cuts to popular programs.
…
 
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), perhaps the most vocal House centrist who voices concerns about rescissions cuts to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, already heard from Scalise at Tuesday’s GOP weekly conference meeting.

“I feel better about PEPFAR,” Bacon said coming out of the session.

Scalise methodically explained to the conference that the rescissions package wouldn’t fully zero out funding for the AIDS program — but would still make hundreds of millions in cuts to the State Department initiative. 

It was a typical Scalise moment, hearing out members’ grievances and then getting their votes.
…
 
Scalise said he’s learned to use the narrow majority to his advantage, letting members know they can be the difference in whether a vote fails.

Scalise’s closing message to potentially wayward Republicans is to stand with Trump. “America will go to the abyss if you don’t get together with him and me and everybody else and don’t hold any grudges — get all your anger out,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we’re all going to vote yes or none of it happens.”