Mike D. Rogers
Encyclopedia
Michael Dennis "Mike" Rogers (born July 16, 1958), is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party
.
in Jacksonville, Alabama.
along with his wife, Beth, and upon graduating with honors began a general law practice in Anniston. Three years later he started his own firm, which grew to become Anniston's largest.
In 1994 he won a seat in the Alabama House of Representatives
, and became Minority leader in his second term there. In 2002, Bob Riley successfully ran for governor, leaving the 3rd district vacant. Democrats had reapportioned the seat and the black population of the district had increased from 25% to 32% as a result. Rogers easily won the Republican nomination. In the general election, he faced Democratic veteran Joe Turnham, Jr., who had served three years as state party chairman and had run against Riley in the congressional election in 1998.
Rogers has a solidly conservative voting record. He notably dissented with the Morocco free trade agreement due to potential job losses in the Alabama textile industry. On social issues Rogers has voted very conservatively, with vehement opposition to abortion, gay marriage and immigration. However, he has acted to protect the armed services industry in his area. On the Armed Services Committee, he opposed a new series of military base closures and won passage of a bill that would assure that universities would provide access to their facilities for military recruitment purposes and ROTC. Despite this, in 2008, he received a rating of 50% from the American Conservative Union
, one of the most moderate voting records of a Southern Republican for that year.
Rogers was a recipient of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
's ARMPAC campaign contributions. DeLay was prosecuted and convicted on charges of felony money laundering of campaign finances and conspiracy to launder money. To date, Rogers has not offered to return any of the $30,000 he received. Rogers said that DeLay is innocent until proven guilty, and that he would not return the money "while the judicial process runs its course."
After the Democratic Party took control of the House of Representatives in the 2006 elections, Rogers joined many relatively junior Republican members of the House in seeing their perceived influence diminish. Knowlegis, a nonpartisan lobbying information firm, dropped Rogers from being ranked as the 138th most influential Representative to being 402nd in that category.
Rogers is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
Rogers supported an amendment to declare that people retain the right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, and traditions on public property, including schools. He cosponsored legislation to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States. Rogers sponsored a bill expressing the continued support of Congress for equal access of military recruiters to institutions of higher education. He also introduced legislation making it illegal to satirize or in any way parody the Transportation Security Administration.
.
and are members of the Baptist Church.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Early life and education
A fifth generation resident of Calhoun County in East Alabama, Rogers graduated from Saks High School and earned both his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Masters of Public Administration at Jacksonville State UniversityJacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University is a regional public coeducational university located in Jacksonville, Alabama, USA. Founded in 1883, Jacksonville State offers programs of study in four academic units leading to Bachelor's, Master's, and Education Specialist degrees, in addition to continuing and...
in Jacksonville, Alabama.
Early political career
At 28 years old, Rogers became the youngest person and first Republican to join the Calhoun County Commission. While serving on the Commission and working for the United Way, Rogers enrolled at the Birmingham School of LawBirmingham School of Law
The Birmingham School of Law is a state accredited law school located in Birmingham, Alabama. Founded in 1915 by Judge Hugh A. Locke, a judge of the Chancery Court and president of the , the Birmingham School of Law offers a part-time program of study in which graduates receive the Juris Doctor ...
along with his wife, Beth, and upon graduating with honors began a general law practice in Anniston. Three years later he started his own firm, which grew to become Anniston's largest.
In 1994 he won a seat in the Alabama House of Representatives
Alabama House of Representatives
The Alabama House of Representatives is the lower house of the Alabama Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alabama. The House is composed of 105 members representing an equal amount of districts, with each constituency containing at least 42,380 citizens. There are no term...
, and became Minority leader in his second term there. In 2002, Bob Riley successfully ran for governor, leaving the 3rd district vacant. Democrats had reapportioned the seat and the black population of the district had increased from 25% to 32% as a result. Rogers easily won the Republican nomination. In the general election, he faced Democratic veteran Joe Turnham, Jr., who had served three years as state party chairman and had run against Riley in the congressional election in 1998.
Committees
- Committee on Armed ServicesUnited States House Committee on Armed Servicesthumb|United States House Committee on Armed Services emblemThe U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives...
- Subcommittee on ReadinessUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on ReadinessHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:The Readiness Subcommittee exercises oversight and legislative jurisdiction over:...
- Subcommittee on Strategic ForcesUnited States House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic ForcesHouse Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces is a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:The Strategic Forces Subcommittee exercises oversight and legislative jurisdiction over:...
- Subcommittee on Readiness
- Committee on Homeland SecurityUnited States House Committee on Homeland SecurityThe U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. Its responsibilities include U.S...
- Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security
- Subcommittee on Transportation Security (Chairman)
- Republican Study CommitteeRepublican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
Political positions
Except on spending, where he earned only a 23% rating from Citizens Against Government WasteCitizens Against Government Waste
Citizens Against Government Waste is a 501 non-profit organization in the United States. It functions as a think-tank, 'government watchdog', and advocacy group for fiscally conservative causes...
Rogers has a solidly conservative voting record. He notably dissented with the Morocco free trade agreement due to potential job losses in the Alabama textile industry. On social issues Rogers has voted very conservatively, with vehement opposition to abortion, gay marriage and immigration. However, he has acted to protect the armed services industry in his area. On the Armed Services Committee, he opposed a new series of military base closures and won passage of a bill that would assure that universities would provide access to their facilities for military recruitment purposes and ROTC. Despite this, in 2008, he received a rating of 50% from the American Conservative Union
American Conservative Union
The American Conservative Union is an American political organization advocating conservative policies, and is the oldest such conservative lobbying organization in the country.-Organization:...
, one of the most moderate voting records of a Southern Republican for that year.
Rogers was a recipient of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
's ARMPAC campaign contributions. DeLay was prosecuted and convicted on charges of felony money laundering of campaign finances and conspiracy to launder money. To date, Rogers has not offered to return any of the $30,000 he received. Rogers said that DeLay is innocent until proven guilty, and that he would not return the money "while the judicial process runs its course."
After the Democratic Party took control of the House of Representatives in the 2006 elections, Rogers joined many relatively junior Republican members of the House in seeing their perceived influence diminish. Knowlegis, a nonpartisan lobbying information firm, dropped Rogers from being ranked as the 138th most influential Representative to being 402nd in that category.
Rogers is a signer of Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
Rogers supported an amendment to declare that people retain the right to pray and to recognize their religious beliefs, heritage, and traditions on public property, including schools. He cosponsored legislation to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States. Rogers sponsored a bill expressing the continued support of Congress for equal access of military recruiters to institutions of higher education. He also introduced legislation making it illegal to satirize or in any way parody the Transportation Security Administration.
Political campaigns
In a very close election, the Turnham-Rogers contest was one of the most closely watched in 2002. Both Democratic and Republican National parties targeted the district, with Speaker Dennis Hastert promising Rogers a seat on the Armed Services committee should he win. Rogers heavily outspent Turnham, raising and spending $1,656,290 to Turnham's $1,015,132, with Rogers enjoying an even greater margin in independent expenditures. Rogers narrowly won the election by a 50%-48% margin. In this election, Rogers became a rare Republican endorsee of The Anniston StarThe Anniston Star
The Anniston Star is the daily newspaper serving Anniston, Alabama, and the surrounding six-county region. Average Sunday circulation in September 2004 was 26,747. The newspaper is locally-owned by Consolidated Publishing Company, which is controlled by the descendants of Col. Harry M. Ayers, one...
.
- 2008 Rogers won against Democratic nominee Joshua SegallJoshua SegallJoshua Steven Segall is an attorney at Copeland Franco in Montgomery, Alabama. Segall is the son of a Bobby Segall, an accomplished Alabama attorney also practicing at Copeland Franco and champion of the Legal Services Corporation of Alabama.-2008:...
, a MontgomeryMontgomery, AlabamaMontgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
attorney, and Independent Mark Layfield.
- 2010 Rogers defeated Democratic nominee Steve Segrest.
Personal life
Rogers and his wife have three children. They reside in SaksSaks, Alabama
Saks is an unincorporated census-designated place in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 10,698. It is included in the Anniston-Oxford Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and are members of the Baptist Church.
Electoral history
External links
- U.S. Congressman Mike D. Rogers official U.S. House site
- Mike Rogers for Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...