“Take the time to be close with the ones you love, ” the family said in a statement.
This Father’s Day is a little extra special, Rep. Steve Scalise’s family said days after the congressman survived a bullet to his hip during a baseball-practice shootout.
“Steve’s greatest joy is being a father to Madison and Harrison, and a husband to Jennifer. This Father’s Day has special meaning for the Scalise family, and they send their best wishes to every family, especially the dads, ” read a statement tweeted Sunday from the Louisiana Republican’s account.
“Take the time to be close with the ones you love. Thank you for the continued prayers, support, and outpouring of love.”
The House Majority Whip, 51, arrived at the hospital Wednesday “in critical condition with an imminent risk of death” after a GOP-loathing assailant opened fire on two dozen ball-playing Republicans in Alexandria, Va., doctors said.
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Scalise’s condition was upgraded Saturday from critical to serious following multiple surgeries. Doctors called him “more responsive” and said he was “speaking with his loved ones.”
The third highest-ranking House Republican wasn’ t the only shooting survivor with newfound appreciation for Father’s Day Sunday.
“It’s still pretty surreal … This is the best Father’s Day I’ ve ever had, to be able to come back home and see the outpouring of care and support from the people that know me best, including my family, ” Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) , who escaped the rampage unscathed, told “Fox News Sunday.”
The father of three branded the attack by gunman James T. Hodgkinson — a Trump-hating former home inspector who arrived at the ballfield with a list of GOP lawmakers in his pocket — an act of “political terrorism.”
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“The evidence from the shooter, this maniac who began firing at all of us, shows that he turned his religion into politics, ” Davis said. “And when somebody turns their religion into politics, they’ re no better than anyone else who hijacks a religion and tries to indiscriminately kill innocent people.”
Hodgkinson, who wounded three others before police shot him dead in the Wednesday-morning melee, had been a passionate supporter of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and even volunteered on his campaign.
Sanders on Sunday offered his latest denouncement of the deranged gunman’s violence, telling CNN “it was distressing” to learn of Hodgkinson’s volunteerism.
“I am absolutely convinced that the overwhelming — not overwhelming, virtually all — people associated with our political movement understand you have the right to stand up, debate, you have the right to protest, but violence is not acceptable, ” he said.
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Law enforcement have not been in touch with Sanders or his staff about the incident, the socialist senator added.
“I just want to wish Rep. Scalise a very, very quick recovery, ” Sanders said. “What happened was a tragedy; unacceptable. There should not be any violence associated with politics in America.”
