Steve Scalise
RepublicanU.S. Representative, LA-1| Age | 60 (b. 1965-10-06) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2008-05-07 (~18 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White, Italian American (Sicilian ancestry) |
| Religion | Catholic (Roman Catholic) |
| Education | B.S. in Computer Science (minor in Political Science), Louisiana State University, 1989; Archbishop Rummel High School, Metairie, Louisiana, 1983 |
| Prior occupation | Software engineer and marketing executive in the technology sector; Louisiana state legislator |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | New Orleans, Louisiana |
| Languages | English |
| Marital status | Married — Jennifer Letulle Scalise |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Metairie, Louisiana |
Pending research: notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1995 |
| Previous offices | Member, Louisiana House of Representatives, District 82 (1996–2008) · Member, Louisiana State Senate, District 9 (January–May 2008) |
| Committees | House Energy and Commerce Committee (member; as Majority Leader, may have reduced formal committee assignment) |
| Caucuses | Republican Study Committee (former Chair, 2013–2014; member) |
| Leadership | Chair, Republican Study Committee (2013–2014) · House Majority Whip (2014–2019) · House Minority Whip (2019–2023) · House Majority Leader (2023–present) · Nominated for Speaker of the House (withdrew, October 2023) |
| Ideology | Strongly conservative; received National Taxpayers Union 'Taxpayers' Friend Award' with second-highest score in Congress; voted against certification of 2020 electoral votes in Arizona and Pennsylvania; rated as mainstream House Republican conservative |
| Signature legislation | RESTORE Act (2012) – dedicated Clean Water Act fines from Deepwater Horizon oil spill to Gulf Coast restoration · Free Speech Fairness Act (reintroduced) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $-785,000–$-315,000 (2024) · estimate
| Trust bank account | other · $15,001–$50,000 · 2022 |
Top donors: American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) ($540,618 (career)) · AT&T Inc ($49,129 (Team Scalise, 2024 cycle)) · Koch Industries / Koch Inc PAC (top PAC donor (multiple cycles)) · Valero Energy Corp (top PAC donor)
Top industries: Oil and Gas ($2.1M+ career, ranked 2nd among House members) · Food Processing/Sales · Republican/Conservative organizations · Auto Dealers (foreign imports) · Telecommunications (AT&T)
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — FEC ADR 921: Scalise for Congress Settlement — Excessive Contributions
The FEC's Reports Analysis Division referred Scalise for Congress and its treasurer to the ADR office in July 2019 for failure to timely refund or redesignate roughly $30,740 in excessive or prohibited contributions from the 2018 general election cycle, in violation of 52 U.S.C. § 30116(f) and 11 CFR 110.1(d). The FEC Commission approved a negotiated settlement on July 1, 2020 (4-0 vote), imposing a $2,300 civil monetary penalty and a mandatory FEC compliance seminar. No personal charges were brought against Scalise himself.