U.S. Department of Defense / Tech. Sgt. Jack Sanders

23 Years, Four Bills. Is It Time to Replace Mike Rogers?

After more than two decades in Congress, what has Mike Rogers actually delivered for Alabama’s 3rd District?

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by Joshua Kotlowski | Owner and Writer for Bama Blues

Mike Rogers has had the privilege of serving Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District since 2003. That’s more than two decades, for those keeping count. During that time he has risen to become the chairman of one of the most influential and powerful committees in Congress. Surely he has done this state and this district proud, right? After twenty-three years in office, voters deserve to ask a simple question: what has he done during his time in Washington to benefit the people of east Alabama?

A Career Built in Politics

Rogers began his political career early. At the age of 28 he joined the Calhoun County Commission, where he served for three years before moving on to the Alabama House of Representatives. He served four terms there from 1994 until running for Governor Bob Riley’s former seat in the U.S. House in 2002. Since winning that election he has represented Alabama’s 3rd district for twelve terms in Congress.

In 2021 Rogers became the Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee. When Republicans regained control of the House in 2023, he became chairman of the committee, one of the most powerful positions in Congress with oversight of national defense policy and military spending.

Since launching his first congressional campaign in 2002, Rogers has built a formidable fundraising operation. Data from Ballotpedia shows he has raised more than $18 million across his campaigns for Congress, routinely bringing in over $1 million each election cycle. Even in 2024, when he ran unopposed, Rogers still raised nearly $2.9 million, a reflection of the financial advantages long-time incumbents often enjoy in safe districts. According to OpenSecrets, just 0.76% of Rogers’ fundraising during the 2023–2024 cycle came from small individual donors, with the overwhelming majority coming from political action committees and large institutional donors. That fundraising pattern suggests his campaigns rely far more heavily on organized political and corporate interests than on grassroots support from ordinary voters in Alabama’s 3rd district.

Just 0.76% of Rogers’ fundraising during the 2023–2024 cycle came from small individual donors.

According to data collected by OpenSecrets

Examining the Legislative Record

Fundraising, however, is not the ultimate measure of a representative’s value to their constituents. Members of Congress are not elected to win campaigns, they are elected to advocate for their districts and pass laws that materially improve people’s lives. After more than two decades in office, the question voters in Alabama’s 3rd District should be asking is simple: what has Mike Rogers actually done for the people of AL03?

Over the course of his 12 terms, Rogers has sponsored dozens of pieces of legislation. However, like most Representatives, the majority of those bills never became law. That’s not uncommon, a significant portion of their time lies in their committee work. Still, examining the legislation he has chosen to personally introduce does provide insight into where his priorities lie.

A large percentage of Rogers’ legislative activity has focused on national defense policy. It’s not surprising, given his long tenure on the House Armed Services Committee, which he’s chaired since 2023. Through that role, he’s played a part in shaping the annual National Defense Authorization Act, the massive piece of legislation that sets U.S. military policy and authorizes hundreds of billions of dollars in spending each year. One of his most notable initiatives was the 2017 Space Corps Act which sought to create a division within the United States Air Force focused on operations in space. While that proposal did not pass and become law, it did help spark the policy debate that ultimately led to the creation of the United States Space Force in 2019 and Rogers often cites that effort as one of his most significant contributions.

After more than two decades in office, the question voters should ask is simple: what has Mike Rogers actually done for Alabama’s 3rd District?

– Joshua Kotlowski

Ideology vs Local Impact

Whether you agree with him or not, Rogers has undeniably been effective in shaping National Defense policy. Outside of that, though, things begin to get less clear. He has introduced several bills focusing on broader ideological issues such as multiple versions of the American Sovereignty Restoration Act, a fancy name for a bill that did nothing but aim to withdraw the United States from the United Nations, something President Trump has been hinting at for nearly a decade now. None of those efforts made it through Congress and for good reason, the UN plays a vital role in our National Defense strategy, Mike Rogers knows this so one can only imagine that his reasons for introducing the legislation to begin with is to earn points with President Trump and the broader MAGA crowd.

Rogers has also introduced several pieces of legislation aimed at deregulation, a popular ideological point for Republican Lawmakers. The most notable piece being the REINS Act, which would require Congress to approve major federal regulations before they take effect. That bill has passed the House of Representatives a few times but has never been fully enacted into law. Many of his other proposals have focused on law enforcement or government operations, bills that are common among members of Congress but usually only serve to signal policy priorities or advance ideological positions and are often unlikely to pass the Senate.

What is less prominent in Rogers’ record is a large body of sponsored legislation aimed directly at economic development or infrastructure within Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District. While federal funding for military installations can and often does have indirect benefits for places like the Anniston Army Depot and other military installations, relatively few of Rogers’ sponsored bills have focused specifically on district-level improvements.

H.R.2740, introduced in April 2025, aims to expand the borders of the Talladega National Forest.
H.R. 5882, introduced in July 2016, established the Freedom Riders National Historical Park in Anniston.
H.R. 1612, introduced in April 2013, returned land that was donated to the Federal Government for a VA hospital, back to Tuskegee University.
H.R. 5486, introduced in February 2008, aimed to expand the borders of the Little River Canyon National Preserve.

These four pieces of legislation are the only standalone bills Rogers has sponsored in more than two decades that directly address projects within his district. There have been no proposals to address the numerous infrastructure issues that have plagued the region for decades. There has been no legislation aimed at expanding access to healthcare in the rural areas that so desperately need it. Nothing to support our great Universities in Jacksonville and Auburn or the teachers who often need to work two jobs just to survive.

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The Question for Voters

So once again, I want readers to ask a single, simple question of Mike Rogers: what have you done, across two decades of public service, to benefit the people of Alabama 3rd District? When voters in AL03 look at the legislative record, the question is not how long Mike Rogers has served. It’s not how much money he has raised for his campaigns. The real question is how effectively that time has been used to address the challenges facing our communities.

East Alabama continues to struggle with aging infrastructure, limited access to healthcare, and precious few economic opportunities for those just entering the workforce. These are not new problems, and they are not unique to us. But after twenty-three years in office, it is fair for voters to ask whether the elected officials representing them in Washington are truly focused on solving them.

This November, voters in Alabama’s 3rd District have a choice to make. Lee McInnis is running to represent this district with a different vision for what congressional leadership should look like. I’ve been following Lee’s campaign for several months now, and I’ve seen how he has made a point of speaking directly with the people of AL03. He’s on the road constantly, holding meetings and town halls everywhere from county offices to local coffee shops, and he regularly responds to questions from voters online. Lee is running on the belief that representation should begin with listening to the needs of the people who actually live here.

Elections are one of the few opportunities voters have to hold their representatives accountable. After more than two decades of the same leadership, the people of AL03 now have the chance to decide whether it is time for a new direction. The question now is: do voters in Alabama’s 3rd District believe the last twenty-three years have been enough?

If your answer is no, I implore you to look for yourself and see what Lee McInnis is about. You can find him on Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and of course at his own website: https://leemcinnis4alabama.com

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