Hal Rogers

Biography

Harold Dallas Rogers was born on December 31, 1937, in Wayne County, Kentucky. A lifelong resident of Appalachian Kentucky, Rogers has dedicated his career to representing Kentucky's 5th Congressional District, which encompasses 30 counties in southern and eastern Kentucky. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Rogers first took office on January 3, 1981, and has been elected to 23 consecutive terms. On September 2, 2021, he became the longest-serving member of Congress in Kentucky history. On March 18, 2022, he became the Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives, the longest-serving member in the House.

Before his congressional career, Rogers worked as an attorney in Somerset from 1964 to 1969 and served as the Pulaski-Rockcastle Commonwealth's Attorney from 1969 to 1980.

Rogers was first married to Shirley McDowell Rogers for 37 years until her death in 1995. Together, they raised three children: Anthony, Allison, and John. He remarried to Cynthia Doyle Rogers in May 1999 and resides in Somerset, Kentucky.

Education

Rogers attended Ramsey and Monticello public schools and graduated from Wayne County High School in 1955. He earned his B.A. from the University of Kentucky in 1962 and his LL.B. from the University of Kentucky Law School in 1964.

He has received honorary degrees from Morehead State University, Cumberland College, Lincoln Memorial University, Lindsey Wilson College, Pikeville College, Union College, and Coastal Carolina University.

Political Experience

Rogers served in the Kentucky and North Carolina National Guard from 1957 to 1964. He was the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky in 1979 but lost to Democratic nominee Martha Layne Collins with a vote of 63% to 37%.

As a U.S. Representative, Rogers has served on the House Appropriations Committee for over 40 years, holding leadership roles as Chairman or Ranking Member of six subcommittees. In 2003, he was selected as the first chairman of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security, where he fought to secure necessary funds for first responders and advocated for stronger border security and immigration enforcement.

From 2011 to 2016, Rogers served as Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, where he led efforts to reduce discretionary spending by $126 billion since 2010, conducted 650 oversight hearings, and considered over 2,000 amendments to appropriations bills.

Throughout his career, Rogers has focused on economic development, job creation, and fighting illegal drug use. He played a pivotal role in creating civic organizations including Operation UNITE, Southeast Kentucky Economic Development , The Center for Rural Development, Eastern Kentucky PRIDE, and Shaping Our Appalachian Region .