Mike Rogers, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Michigan, has come under scrutiny for his voting record on legislation benefiting 9/11 first responders and survivors. Rogers, a former congressman, has recently focused criticism on his Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, over tweets El-Sayed posted about the September 11 attacks. Some commentators have accused El-Sayed, who is Muslim, of suggesting the United States deserved the attacks—a claim El-Sayed has denied. However, congressional records and critics highlight Rogers’s history of opposing key bills aimed at providing healthcare and benefits to those affected by 9/11.
Rogers voted against the 2010 James Zadroga Act, legislation that allocates funding to monitor and treat more than 40,000 first responders exposed to toxic conditions at Ground Zero, including coverage for various cancers linked to the attacks. During committee discussions, Rogers expressed concerns about the bill’s $5.1 billion cost, stating it posed a risk to the country’s financial health. He was among 157 Republicans who opposed the measure, though it ultimately passed the House with bipartisan support.
John Feal, a 9/11 first responder and advocate who was severely injured at Ground Zero, criticized Rogers’s opposition, describing it as a betrayal of first responders. Feal recalled discussing the legislation with Rogers on the House floor, during which Rogers allegedly referred to first responders’ health problems as a “New York problem” and questioned the source of funding for their care. Feal accused Rogers and others of initially praising first responders but withdrawing support once they faced long-term health consequences.
Rogers’s record includes additional votes against funding expansions for veterans’ healthcare and first responders in 2002, as well as opposition to homeland security appropriations in 2011 that cut state and local first responder programs and terrorism prevention efforts. He also opposed amendments in 2013 and 2014 that would have allocated billions to first responders and voted against pension protections for these workers in 2013.
The issue gained further attention after Rogers sent an email to supporters criticizing El-Sayed’s 9/11 remarks and claiming he had seen the dead body of Osama bin Laden—a statement contradicted by official records showing Rogers was neither present in Pakistan during the raid nor in the White House Situation Room at the time.
Henry Yanez, a retired firefighter and current Sterling Heights city council member who has endorsed El-Sayed, also condemned Rogers’s voting history. Yanez noted the inconsistency of Rogers’s positions given his background as a former FBI agent and the support other Michigan Republicans have shown for first responders.
The controversy comes amid a closely contested race for Michigan’s open Senate seat, which could influence control of Congress in the upcoming session. Rogers’s campaign has not responded to requests for comment regarding the criticism or his legislative record.
Advocates such as Feal contend that opposition to first responder benefits undermines Rogers’s suitability for office. “Many members of Congress think they’re untouchable until they get humbled and get beat in an election,” Feal said, adding that Rogers appears primarily motivated by self-interest.