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Hal Rogers | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2018 | |
| 46thDean of the United States House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office March 18, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Don Young |
| Chair of theHouse Appropriations Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Dave Obey |
| Succeeded by | Rodney Frelinghuysen |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromKentucky's5th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Tim Lee Carter |
| Commonwealth's Attorney ofPulaski andRockcastle Counties | |
| In office 1969–1981 | |
| Preceded by | Homer Neikirk |
| Succeeded by | Lester Burns |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Harold Dallas Rogers (1937-12-31)December 31, 1937 (age 87) Barrier, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Kentucky (BA,LLB) |
| Website | House website |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | |
| Years of service | 1956-1963[1] |
| Rank | Staff Sergeant |
Rogers speaks on the conference report for H.R.2360, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2006 Recorded October 6, 2005 | |
Harold Dallas Rogers (born December 31, 1937) is an American lawyer and politician serving his 23rd term as theU.S. representative forKentucky's 5th congressional district, having served since 1981. He is a member of theRepublican Party. UponDon Young's death in 2022, Rogers became thedean of the House of Representatives.
Born inBarrier, Kentucky, Rogers graduated from theUniversity of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degree. He entered private practice after serving in the National Guard for the states ofKentucky andNorth Carolina. In 1969, he became thecommonwealth's attorney for the counties ofPulaski andRockcastle, an office he would hold until his election to Congress. In1979 he was the Republican nominee forlieutenant governor.
After incumbent U.S. RepresentativeTim Lee Carter announced his retirement in 1980, Rogers launched a campaign forKentucky's 5th congressional district. He won the primary with a plurality of the vote and went on to easily win the general election. As his district is considered a Republican stronghold, Rogers has won reelection with over 65% of the vote in every election since 1980, with the sole exception of 1992.
Rogers was born inBarrier, Kentucky. After attendingWestern Kentucky University inBowling Green, he earned a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from theUniversity of Kentucky.[2] Rogers served in theKentucky Army National Guard andNorth Carolina Army National Guard.[3]
As a lawyer Rogers was in private practice and was elected to serve ascommonwealth's attorney forPulaski andRockcastle counties in Kentucky, an office he held from 1969 to his election to Congress in 1980.[4][5][6]
Rogers was the Republican nominee forlieutenant governor of Kentucky in1979. He was on the ballot with former GovernorLouie B. Nunn. He lost toDemocratic nomineeJohn Y. Brown Jr. 59%–41%.[7] The following year, Rogers won election to Congress.[8]
In 1980, incumbent Republican U.S. CongressmanTim Lee Carter ofKentucky's 5th congressional district decided to retire. Rogers won the Republican primary with a plurality of 23 percent. The losing candidates included the 1971 gubernatorial nominee,Tom Emberton.[9] He won the general election with 67% of the vote.[8] He has won reelection with at least 65% of the vote since then, exceptin 1992, when he defeated Democratic candidate John Doug Hays, a former member of theKentucky State Senate with 55% of the vote to Hays' 45% of the vote.[10][11]
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Rogers is the longest-serving Kentucky Republican ever elected to federal office.[12] He represents one of the few ancestrally Republican districts south of theOhio River. South-central Kentucky, historically the heart of the district, is very similar demographically toEast Tennessee. Its voters identified with the Republicans after theCivil War and have supported the GOP ever since. Rogers served as a delegate to nineRepublican National Conventions from 1976 to 2008.[13]
TheCenter for Rural Development––a501c(3) nonprofit organization established inSomerset, Kentucky, in March 1996[14][15][16][17]––was Rogers's idea.[15][18]
In 2001 the City ofWilliamsburg, Kentucky named theirnew water park and miniature golf facility the Hal Rogers Family Entertainment Center[19] as a "thank-you for the federal money he has brought back to Whitley County, the City of Williamsburg, and the other 40 counties he represents".[20]
On the House/Senate conference decision to bolster theDepartment of Commerce and support theClinton Administration priorities, President Clinton remarked, "I commend the congressional leadership, SenatorErnest Hollings, SenatorPete Domenici, CongressmanNeal Smith, and Congressman Harold Rogers, for their foresight and support in revitalizing this country through these programs. It is a dramatic step forward for the United States toward a solid economic future."[21]
Kentucky state biographer Amy Witherbee commented: "Rogers's multiple roles on the Appropriations Committee have honed his skills as a bipartisan negotiator, and his economically challenged district often prompts him to stray from hard-line conservative stances. Although voting with his party against raising environmental standards on sports utility vehicles and against a controversial amendment that would have prohibited oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Rogers has been the creator and leading proponent of large environmental protection and clean-up programs throughout the Appalachian region. ... [His] reluctance to involve the federal government in local issues has not deterred him from supporting a multitude of economic development programs aimed at creating new job bases in economically disadvantaged areas, and particularly in Appalachia. In 1993, Rogers was one of only three Republicans to vote for then-President Bill Clinton's economic stimulus package. In March 2003, Rogers's ability to work through the bipartisan tangles of the Appropriations Committee won him the chairmanship on the subcommittee designated to control funding for the new Department of Homeland Security."[22]
Ready evidence is found on March 20, 2008, when the invitation to testify in support of environmental legislation by Democratic House Majority LeaderRocky Adkins,[23] and, on the same day, a rare invitation to speak from the Senate floor was afforded by Republican Senate Majority Leader SenatorDavid L. Williams ofCumberland County as part of the Senate's unanimously passed bipartisan resolution honoring Rogers for his service.[24]
Rogers called a bill to reduce funding for law enforcement "the result of this new Republican majority's commitment to bring about real change in the way Washington spends the people's money".[25]
In 2011 Rogers voted for theNational Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, which included a controversial provision that allowed the government and the military to indefinitely detain American citizens and others without trial.[26]
In December 2017 Rogers voted for theTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[27]
Rogers, along with all other congressional Republicans, voted against theAmerican Rescue Plan Act of 2021.[28]
FollowingGrace Napolitano's retirement in 2024, Rogers became the oldest voting member of the House (Washington, D.C. DelegateEleanor Holmes Norton, who cannot vote on the House floor, is older).
Rogers has been widely criticized by both liberal and conservative pundits for his priorities when it comes to national security.National Review called him "a national disgrace"[29] andRolling Stone named him one of America's "Ten Worst Congressmen", calling him "Bin Laden's Best Friend" for steering federal homeland security money away from large cities to his home district, which critics claim is one of the least likely terrorist targets in America because of its lack of any notable monuments or population centers.[30] In 2007Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named Rogers to its list of the Most Corrupt Members of Congress.[31]
On May 14, 2006, theNew York Times reported that Rogers had used his legislative position, as chair of the House subcommittee that controls the Homeland Security budget, to create "jobs in his home district and profits for companies that are donors to his political causes".[32]TheLexington Herald-Leader in 2005 called Rogers the "Prince of Pork".[33] TheTimes article reported that Rogers had inserted language ("existing government card issuance centers") into appropriations bills that effectively pushed the federal government into testing – at a cost of $4 million – older, inappropriate technology for a new fraud-resistantgreen card for permanent legal immigrants, at a production plant inCorbin, Kentucky, within Rogers's district. The study concluded that the smart card approach was far superior. TheNew York Times found that Rogers had received about $100,000 in contributions from parties with at least some ties to the identification card effort.[34]
In response to these critics, Rogers said, "It should surprise no one that this article fromRolling Stone regarding my activity in connection with the Transportation Worker Identity Card (TWIC) is grossly incorrect, and highly slanderous ... A true and honest analysis would reveal that my sole interest in TWIC is simply to protect America's seaports, airports, and other transportation facilities from terrorist penetration. To purport that my actions have compromised national security in an effort to bring jobs to Kentucky or for personal gain is an absolute lie."[35]
After Iran objected to the interim deployment of anAfloat Forward Staging Base to counter their threats to close the Persian Gulf, Rogers cut the funding for the project.[36][37]
Rogers faced some criticism after he reportedly poked his colleague andCongressional Black Caucus ChairJoyce Beatty in the back and told her to "kiss my ass" after she asked him to put on amask, as required on theUnited States Capitol subway system where the incident occurred.[38] Rogers soon issued an apology to Beatty.[39]
On June 12, 2013, theWhite House threatened to veto theMilCon/VA spending bill because Republicans did not agree with the Senate's number of $1.058 trillion intended for military operations and research, after the MilCon/VA bill received 421bipartisan votes in House. "We're marking up to $967 billion, the top line under current law," said Rogers, as chair ofUnited States House Committee on Appropriations.[40]
On January 15, 2013, Rogers introducedH.R. 298, officially titled "To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to evaluate the significance of the Mill Springs Battlefield located in Pulaski andWayne Counties, Kentucky, and the feasibility of its inclusion in the National Park System, and for other purposes".[41] The bill would direct theSecretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study to evaluate the significance of theMill Springs Battlefield inKentucky (relating to theBattle of Mill Springs fought on January 19, 1862, in Pulaski and Wayne Counties during the Civil War) and the feasibility of its inclusion in the National Park System (NPS).[41][42] Rogers said, "the Battle of Mill Springs is a source of great pride and interest to the people I serve."[43] Rogers argued that the Battlefield was a "jewel" and would be "an excellent addition to the National Park Service".[43]
On March 5, 2014, Rogers introduced theTo provide for the costs of loan guarantees for Ukraine (H.R. 4152; 113th Congress) into the House. The bill would provide loan guarantees toUkraine of up to $1 billion, part of the American response to the2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine.[44] The bill passed in the House on March 6, 2014.[45]
In 2014 Rogers's committee called for cuts in theNational Nuclear Security Administration budget that cast doubt on the Navy's ability to provide anOhio Replacement Submarine class.[46]
On July 29, 2014, Rogers introduced theMaking supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2014 (H.R. 5230; 113th Congress), a bill that would provide supplemental FY2014appropriations to several federal agencies for expenses related to the rise in unaccompaniedalien children and alien adults accompanied by an alien minor at the southwest border.[47] The bill would also change the procedures for screening and processing unaccompanied alien children who arrive at the border from certain countries.[47] The bill would provide $659 million in supplemental funding.[48] Rogers urged members to pass the bill, arguing that "more and more immigrants will continue to flood across the border if you fail to act" because resources were running out.[48]
For the118th Congress:[49]
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Throughout his congressional tenure, Rogers has sometimes been regarded as a bipartisan negotiator, although his views are staunchly conservative. He isanti-abortion, scoring a 100 percent rating from theNational Right to Life Committee, opposes LGBT rights, and supports abalanced budget amendment for the United States. Nonetheless, aFiveThirtyEight analysis of the voting records of members of the118th Congress deemed him amoderate Republican, indicating unusually high support for bipartisan spending legislation and unusually low support for Republican "messaging" amendments.[51] Currently in his 22nd term in Congress, Rogers is the longest-serving Republican from Kentucky ever elected to federal office.
Rogers is in favor of dismantling theHome Affordable Modification Program. He opposed the GM and Chrysler bailout in 2009. He opposes regulating the subprime mortgage industry. He supports abalanced budget amendment.[52]
In 2018, Rogers co-sponsored a bill to "strengthen school safety and security", which required a two-thirds vote for passage, given it was brought up under an expedited process. The House voted 407–10 to approve the bill, which would "provide $50 million a year for a new federal grant program to train students, teachers and law enforcement on how to spot and report signs of gun violence". Named STOP (Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing) School Violence Act, it would "develop anonymous telephone and online systems where people could report threats of violence". At the same time, it would authorize $25 million for schools to improve and harden their security, such as installing new locks, lights, metal detectors and panic buttons. A separate spending bill would be required to provide money for the grant program.[53]
Rogers supports expanding thejuvenile justice system, including renovating and hiring additional prosecutors. Rogers supports the death penalty.[54]
Rogers has a 13 percent rating from theHumane Society for his anti-animal welfare voting record.[55]
Rogers is in favor of ending federal funding forNational Public Radio. He opposesnet neutrality.[56]
Rogers supports efforts to make the English language the official language of the US. He supports building a fence along the Mexico-US border.[57]
In July 2018, while serving temporarily as chair of the House Rules committee, Rogers rejected requests to increase federal funding for election security. The U.S. intelligence community had concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 election and that it was continuing to interfere in election systems as of July 2018.[58]
Rogers isanti-abortion. He has a 100 percent rating from theNational Right to Life Committee and a zero percent rating fromNARAL Pro-Choice America for his abortion-related voting record. He is in favor of banning federal funding from supporting organizations that provide abortions, as well as federal health insurance covering abortions, unless the pregnancy is the result of rape, incest, or threatens the mother's life. He opposesembryonic stem cell research. He opposes human cloning.[59]
Rogers has a "D" rating fromNORML for his voting history regardingcannabis-related causes. Rogers opposes veterans having access to medical marijuana if recommended by theirVeterans Health Administration doctor and if it is legal for medicinal purposes in their state of residence.[60]
Rogers has a 28 percent rating from theNAACP for his civil rights voting record. He opposesaffirmative action.[61]
Rogers has a 92 percent rating from theChristian Coalition for hissocially conservative voting record.[62] He has a zero percent rating from theHuman Rights Campaign regarding his voting record onLGBT rights.[63] Rogers opposessame-sex marriage. He opposes prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation. He opposes single people and same-sex couples being allowed to adopt children.[61] Rogers opposes classifying crimes motivated by the victim's sexual orientation ashate crimes.[54]
Rogers had three children with his first wife, Shirley Rogers. She died of cancer in 1995.[64] Rogers remarried. His current wife is Cynthia Doyle.[12]
In January 2024, Rogers was involved in a car crash in theWashington, D.C., area. According to a statement released by his office, he was in "good condition” after he was admitted to a nearby hospital.[65][66] By the next month, Rogers was expected to return to Capitol Hill and resume his duties.[67]
| Year | Republican | Votes | % | Democratic | Votes | % | Third Party | Party | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Hal Rogers | 112,093 | 67% | Ted Marcum | 54,027 | 33% | |||||||
| 1982 | Hal Rogers | 52,928 | 65% | Doye Davenport | 28,285 | 35% | |||||||
| 1984 | Hal Rogers | 125,164 | 76% | Sherman McIntosh | 39,783 | 24% | |||||||
| 1986 | Hal Rogers | 56,760 | 100% | No candidate | |||||||||
| 1988 | Hal Rogers | 104,467 | 100% | No candidate | |||||||||
| 1990 | Hal Rogers | 64,660 | 100% | No candidate | |||||||||
| 1992 | Hal Rogers | 115,255 | 55% | John Hays | 95,760 | 45% | |||||||
| 1994 | Hal Rogers | 82,291 | 79% | Walter Blevins | 21,318 | 21% | |||||||
| 1996 | Hal Rogers | 117,842 | 100% | No candidate | |||||||||
| 1998 | Hal Rogers | 142,215 | 78% | Sidney Jane Bailey | 39,585 | 22% | |||||||
| 2000 | Hal Rogers | 145,980 | 74% | Sidney Jane Bailey | 52,495 | 26% | |||||||
| 2002 | Hal Rogers | 137,986 | 78% | Sidney Jane Bailey | 38,254 | 22% | |||||||
| 2004 | Hal Rogers | 177,579 | 100% | No candidate | |||||||||
| 2006 | Hal Rogers | 147,201 | 74% | Kenneth Stepp | 52,367 | 26% | |||||||
| 2008 | Hal Rogers | 177,024 | 84% | No candidate | Jim Holbert | Independent | 33,444 | 16% | |||||
| 2010 | Hal Rogers | 151,019 | 77% | Jim Holbert | 44,034 | 23% | |||||||
| 2012 | Hal Rogers | 195,408 | 78% | Kenneth Stepp | 55,447 | 22% | |||||||
| 2014 | Hal Rogers | 171,350 | 78% | Kenneth Stepp | 47,617 | 22% | |||||||
| 2016 | Hal Rogers | 221,242 | 100% | No candidate | |||||||||
| 2018 | Hal Rogers | 172,093 | 78% | Kenneth Stepp | 45,890 | 21% | Billy Ray Wilson | Independent | 34 | 1% | |||
| 2020 | Hal Rogers | 250,914 | 84% | Matthew Best | 47,056 | 16% | |||||||
| 2022 | Hal Rogers | 177,714 | 82% | Conor Halbleib | 38,549 | 18% | |||||||
| 2024 | Hal Rogers | 261,407 | 100% | No candidate |
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Republican nominee forLieutenant Governor of Kentucky 1979 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromKentucky's 5th congressional district 1981–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Chair of theHouse Appropriations Committee 2011–2017 | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Dean of the United States House of Representatives 2022–present | Incumbent |
| Most seniorRepublican in theU.S. House of Representatives 2022–present | ||
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | Order of precedence of the United States | Succeeded by |
| First | Seniority in the U.S. House of Representatives 1st | Succeeded by |
| Honorary titles | ||
| Preceded by | Oldest voting member of theU.S. House of Representatives 2025–present | Incumbent |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
