Elected to Congress in 1980, Harold “Hal” Rogers is currently serving his 13th term representing Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District.  In his 26th year on Capitol Hill, Rogers is the longest serving Kentucky Republican ever elected to federal office.  Rogers has a reputation as a skillful insider with significant influence over federal budget policy in a wide range of areas.

A member of the House Appropriations Committee since his second term, Rogers assumed the chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and the Judiciary in 1995, when Republicans became the majority party in Congress.  This placed him in the “College of Cardinals,” the elite group of 13 House members who chair a House Appropriations Subcommittee and have jurisdiction over the $820 billion in federal appropriations that fund the nation’s government programs. 

In January of 2003, Rogers' colleagues selected him to serve as the first chairman of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which is responsible for funding and oversight of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  Under Rogers’ leadership, the Subcommittee has overseen the successful integration of 22 legacy agencies into one unified structure at DHS.  The Department is the third-largest cabinet agency behind the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and is home to more than 180,000 employees.  Security-related entities such as the Transportation Security Administration, Federal Emergency Management Service, Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Secret Service, and Coast Guard fall under the DHS umbrella.

Rogers has a reputation for tough oversight and has repeatedly held the Department’s feet to the fire.  One of the strongest critics of wasteful spending by the Transportation Security Administration, Rogers continues pushing the agency to deliver the highest level of security in the most efficient and fiscally responsible manner possible.  When concerns arose over funding for America’s first responders, Rogers worked with the Department to streamline all grants into a “one-stop-shop” to simplify the process for states and localities.  Rogers also wrote into law a provision requiring States to move at least 80-percent of their first responder formula grants to local governments within sixty days of receipt.

During his twenty-five years in Congress, Rogers has worked to address a wide range of national issues.  From 2001 to 2002, he served as chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and worked to ensure the security of America’s highways, railways, ports, and airways.  As chairman, Rogers brought members of the Federal Aviation Administration and senior representatives of the aviation industry before his Subcommittee to develop a list of action items to solve the multi-million dollar problem of flight delays.  A working group of industry and government officials was later formed which lead to a dramatic decrease in system-wide delays.  He continues to serve as a senior member of the Transportation Subcommittee.   

As chairman of the Commerce, Justice, State Subcommittee from 1995 through 2000, Rogers helped write some of the toughest anti-crime appropriations bills ever produced by the Congress.   During that time, Rogers lead efforts to reform the Immigration and Naturalization Service and introduced legislation to split the agency into two units – one to enforce immigration laws and one to distribute benefits and manage services.  This concept ultimately became law in the Homeland Security Act of 2002. 

Rogers’ congressional district consists of 29 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky.  It is one of the poorest in the country, and Rogers works tirelessly to bring jobs, better education, and greater opportunities to the families living in his district.

Born in rural Kentucky, Rogers earned his bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Kentucky.  An attorney by profession, he stepped into the public arena during the 1960s by promoting industrial development in his hometown of Somerset.  In 1969, he was elected as Commonwealth Attorney for two Kentucky counties and served in that position for 11 years.  In 1979, Rogers was the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor.  Although not elected, the race was instrumental in providing the name recognition that helped him to victory during his first House campaign in 1980.  Rogers has won re-election handily, even after a major 1991 redistricting that cost him half of his original district.

Rogers was married to Shirley McDowell Rogers for 37 years until her death in 1995.  Together, they raised three grown children, Anthony, Allison and John.  Rogers remarried to Cynthia Doyle Rogers in May of 1999.  They make their home in Somerset, Kentucky.

Born:  December 31, 1937, Wayne County, Kentucky
Education: Attended Ramsey and Monticello public schools;
  Graduated, Wayne County High School, 1955;
  B.A., University of Kentucky, 1962;
  LL.B., University of Kentucky Law School, 1964.
  Honorary degrees from Morehead State University, Lincoln
  Memorial University, Cumberland College, Pikeville College,
  and Union College.
Military:  Kentucky & North Carolina National Guard, 1957-1964.
Party:  Republican
Elected: 1980
Committee Assignments:   
House Appropriations Committee
  Chairman, Subcommittee on Homeland Security,
  Member, Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, and Housing
House Hurricane Katrina Select Committee
House Republican Steering Committee