U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers recognized as state’s longest-serving congressman

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WTVQ/Press Release) – A who’s who of Kentucky politics, business and education paid tribute to a man called a “giant in public service.”

Congressman Hal Rogers’ list of accomplishments and contributions to the state is pages and pages long.

Thursday, in the halls of the state Capitol, Rogers was recognized as the state’s longest-serving congressman, serving 14,852 days. That passes the former record holder, Democrat Bill Natcher by one day. Rogers has served 21 terms representing the second district.

He plans to run for re-election next year.

He was cited for his ability to cross political lines, to not just listen but also to act and most importantly, to be driven by one common theme.

“Public service to pave a brighter future for Kentucky. So through his indelible career, he has always focused on advancing Kentucky,” said Dr. Eli Capilouto, University of Kentucky President.

At one time or another, Rogers has represented 70 counties in eastern Kentucky. The Wayne County native currently represents 30 counties in the fifth congressional district.

Throughout his tenure in Congress, Hal Rogers has a long list of accomplishments to his name.

Rogers was elected by his House colleagues as Chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee from 2011 to 2016 and has served 40 years on the House Appropriations Committee. Chairman Rogers led the Congress to reduce discretionary spending by a historic amount, cutting $126 billion in discretionary spending. During his tenure, Chairman Rogers led the way for regular order, conducting 650 oversight hearings and considering more than 2,000 amendments to appropriations bills on the floor.

Rogers is highly respected as a Member who successfully reaches across the aisle to author legislation and policies that benefit the American people. As a result of his leadership, he has served on eight different subcommittees, including leadership roles as Chairman or Ranking Member of three. Rogers currently serves as a senior Member of the House Appropriations Committee where he has served 40 years, and he is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations.

In 2003, Rogers was tapped to lead the first Subcommittee on Homeland Security following the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Chairman Rogers helped form the Department of Homeland Security, bringing together 22 agencies under one umbrella to build a stronger national defense, protect against terrorist threats, improve federal responses to natural disasters and strengthen border security.

Congressman Rogers was one of the first Members of Congress to take on Big Pharma. During a Congressional hearing in Dec. 2001, Rogers questioned the first Purdue Pharma executive about the company’s marketing practices of Oxycontin. Rogers later co-founded the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse and launched Operation UNITE to combat the opioid epidemic in Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District, and still leads life saving efforts to address the ongoing national crisis.

Rogers protected and boosted funding for countless programs that support Kentucky’s Appalachian Region, like the Appalachian Regional Commission. Rogers saved the ARC from being abolished in several presidential budget requests. Established the Abandoned Mine Lands Pilot Grant Program to help coal communities revitalize the local economy, securing $130 million for Kentucky since 2016.

Congressman Rogers has worked hard to prepare the region for federal contract opportunities, including construction of four federal penitentiaries, the Kentucky Consular Center and its immigration visa program, helping local manufacturers become certified for federal contract work, securing funding every year for workforce training programs and economic development funds.

Rogers also launched the Southeast Kentucky Economic Development Corporation (SKED) to help small businesses startup and expand, creating more than 10,000 jobs since 1986.

Over the last 40 years, Congressman Rogers has secured nearly $800 million for flood control projects, including construction of flood walls and levees, carving tunnels through mountains, building bridges and re-rerouting the Cumberland River.

In 2015, Congressman Rogers and former Gov. Steve Beshear launched KentuckyWired, the state’s largest public-private partnership to connect every county in the state with high-speed, high-capacity broadband. The project will catapult Kentucky from ranking among the bottom in the nation for connectivity to one of the leading states.

Congressman Rogers has championed major road expansions from the Mountain Parkway, to the Cumberland Gap Tunnels, to U.S. 421, to U.S. 461, to the Cumberland Parkway, Highway 80 and beyond. 40 years ago, only a handful of airports had been established across southern and eastern Kentucky and now, nearly every county in the region has access to a local or regional airport, providing vital economic development opportunities.

Congressman Rogers has helped secure critical funding to expand access to medical care and higher education in the mountains. Rogers has brought together leaders of local hospitals and local colleges and universities to help address the shortage of healthcare professionals in southern and eastern Kentucky.

According to the Kentucky Rural Water Association, approximately 94% of Kentucky’s Fifth
Congressional District now has access to clean water. Congressman Rogers established the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 531 Grant Program, setting aside federal funding exclusively for water and wastewater programs in southern and eastern Kentucky, adding to his tireless support of the Appalachian Regional Commission’s water and wastewater programs.

Congressman Rogers launched Operation UNITE in 2003 to address the region’s drug abuse crisis through a holistic effort, bringing together law enforcement, treatment, and education. In 2012, Congressman Rogers inspired UNITE to lead the national discussion by launching the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit, which is now the nation’s largest gathering to address the nation’s opioid epidemic.

In 1997, Congressman Rogers and the late General James Bickford, former Secretary of the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, launched Eastern Kentucky PRIDE – Personal Responsibility in a Desirable Environment. Thanks to nearly half a million volunteers over the years, the region is cleaner than ever before with less litter, more environmental education, less streams contaminated by straight pipes, and fewer illegal dumpsites. Approximately one million old tires and nearly 200,000 old appliances have been removed from our hillsides and streams.

Congressman Rogers has worked tirelessly with local leaders to market the region as one of the most beautiful and adventurous parts of the country. Most recently, he led the way for the Mill Springs Battlefield in Pulaski and Wayne Counties to become a National Monument in the National Park System. He is also supporting efforts to have southern and eastern Kentucky designated as the Kentucky Wildlands National Heritage Area.

In 1996, The Center for Rural Development was established to advance technology in the region, open a venue for the arts, support public safety in rural areas, and train future leaders and expand educational opportunities through the Rogers Scholars Program. Since 1998, nearly 1,400 Rogers Scholars have been offered $11 million in scholarships from 19 colleges and universities.

Most recently, Congressman Rogers and former Governor Steve Beshear (D-Ky) established SOAR – Shaping Our Appalachian Region to help “plan our work and work our plan” for a better and brighter future in Eastern Kentucky. SOAR is leading the way for economic development, regional collaboration, and vision-casting for the next generation.

Congressman Rogers has established one of the most effective and efficient Congressional casework offices in the country, processing thousands of personal cases every year. He has dedicated staff to help constituents with veterans’ benefits and recovering military records, social security disability, Medicare benefits, and cutting through the red tape with federal agencies when an individual needs assistance.