Congressman Steve Scalise proudly represents the First Congressional District of Louisiana, which stretches from the beautiful Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain and the culturally distinct New Orleans suburbs to the vibrant bayous and wetlands abundant in natural resources. He was elected to Congress in May of 2008 after serving in the Louisiana State Legislature from 1996-2008. He currently serves his colleagues as the House Majority Whip, the third highest position for House Republicans.
Scalise is a strong conservative leader who upholds the Constitution, advocating for the principles of fiscal discipline, lower taxes, an all-of-the-above national energy strategy, a robust national defense, and conservative values. Through his previous experiences as a House Deputy Whip and Chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC), Scalise developed a proven formula to pass effective legislation that unites his colleagues.
As Chairman of the RSC, a caucus of more than 170 conservative members in the House, he coalesced members around a unified vision. During his time as Chairman, Scalise championed a free-market, patient-centered Obamacare alternative that gained the support of 130 House members. He also introduced legislation that promotes job creation and economic growth, established an RSC national defense working group, released a conservative budget that would balance in four years, and crafted bills that protect constitutionally-guaranteed rights, like freedom of speech.
Scalise knows the importance of energy development to Louisiana. As a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Scalise is fighting to enact a national energy strategy that increases the supply of American energy through enhanced production and technological innovation to lower prices at the pump and reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. Each Congress, Scalise has spearheaded legislation to increase revenue sharing, energy production, and development; create good energy jobs; and lower energy costs for all Americans.
Scalise is also effective at working across the aisle to build bipartisan majorities in Congress to pass legislation on issues important to Louisiana. A steadfast defender of Louisiana’s coast, Scalise led the effort in the House to pass the RESTORE Act, which was signed into law in July 2012. The RESTORE Act dedicated the vast majority of Clean Water Act fines from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to coastal restoration. This legislation is widely regarded as the single most significant action taken to restore Louisiana’s coast. Whip Scalise also is a strong supporter of revenue sharing, and leads the fight in Washington to protect Louisiana’s GOMESA funding, ensuring that Louisiana has access to the hundreds of millions of dollars dedicated to restoring our coast. He has also passed numerous pieces of legislation to provide additional funding for coastal restoration and hurricane protection priorities.
A native of Jefferson Parish, Scalise is a graduate of Archbishop Rummel High School and Louisiana State University, where he earned a degree in Computer Science and a minor in Political Science. Scalise is married to the former Jennifer Letulle, and they have two children, Madison and Harrison.