Congressman Steve Scalise returns to work after baseball park shooting

To hugs and a roaring bipartisan standing ovation, House Republican whip Steve Scalise returned to work on Thursday, more than three months after a baseball practice shooting left him fighting for his life.

"You have no idea how great this feels to be back here at work in the people's House," the 51-year old Louisiana congressmansaid to a chamber packed with lawmakers, including senators who welcomed him back.

Scaliseposted a photo of his return on Twitter.

Scalise hobbled into the chamber on crutches, smiling broadly and blowing kisses in his first public appearance sincethe June 14 shooting. In an extraordinary gesture, Speaker Paul Ryan, presided and ordered members to sit in their chairs to listen to Scalise's remarks.

"Our prayers have been answered," Ryan said.

The moment marked a departure from the bitter divisions that have dominated Congress this year between two parties locked in combat over U.S. President Donald Trump and the Republican agenda.

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Scalise thanked the two wounded Capitol Hill police officers who returned fire and helped kill the shooter, James Hodgkinson of Belleville, Ill., and the doctors who patched him together through repeated surgeries. The officers, Crystal Griner and David Bailey, were also injured.

"David, you are my hero," Scalise said to Young, who was in the chamber. "You saved my life."

Griner is still recovering at home.

The lawmaker also thanked his wife, Jennifer, who watched from the visitor's gallery.

Scalise's emotional speech, interrupted by frequent applause, thanked his family and referred to innate optimism he partly attributed to being from Louisiana, referring to theattitude of "joie de vivre" (joy of life) in a state with a heavy French influence.

"When I come back into this chamber today, just seeing the faces of all of you, it just means more than you can imagine," Scalise said.

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ThepeopleScalise embraced included Representative Brad Wenstrup who applied a tourniquet that Scalise said helped control his bleeding and saved his life. Wenstrup, a surgeon, was red-faced and teary-eyed.

House minority leader Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, praised Scalise's strength and said, "Today we are Team Scalise." Under normal circumstances, she would be plotting to undermine Scalise, whois in charge of rounding up votes for Republican legislation.

At one point, Scalise was handed a baseball bat that he waved over his head, eliciting additional cheers.

"I'm not a big crier, but I was today," Ryan told a reporter afterward.

The politician and four others were injured when a gunman opened fire on a Republican baseball practice in nearby Alexandria, Va. U.S. Capitol Police and other officers returned fire and killed the gunman. The rifle-wielding attacker had nursed grievances against Trump and the Republican Party.

Scalise was struck in the hip, and the bullet damaged blood vessels, bones and internal organs