Majority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) remains in critical condition two days after he was shot Wednesday at the GOP congressional baseball practice, Scalise's lead surgeon Jack Sava said Friday in a press conference. Though Scalise's vital signs have "stabilized" and doctors have "controlled the internal bleeding," Scalise is still in the ICU at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and will need more surgeries to address abdominal and bone injuries caused by the bullet that ripped through his pelvis.
Sava said that when Scalise arrived at the hospital Wednesday, he "was in critical condition with an imminent risk of death." Sava said he's now "a lot more optimistic" than he was days ago about Scalise's prognosis, noting the "risk of death is substantially lower."
Scalise is expected to remain in the hospital for a "considerable period of time," perhaps "weeks," but "an excellent recovery is a good possibility," Sava said.