GOP defends member
WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders have been supportive of Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise since the revelation that he appeared before a white supremacist organization 12 years ago, suggesting they think the flare-up will fade, while some Democrats have been critical without calling for him to resign.
Scalise, the Republican whip in the House, said Tuesday he regrets making the speech in 2002 and condemns the views of such groups. He said that as a state legislator he spoke to many groups at that time about a major tax issue.
“One of the many groups that I spoke to regarding this critical legislation was a group whose views I wholeheartedly condemn,” the Louisiana congressman said in a statement. “It was a mistake I regret, and I emphatically oppose the divisive racial and religious views groups like these hold.”
Republican leaders defended Scalise within minutes of his statement. The new Congress, in which the GOP will control both the House and the Senate, convenes next week.
