After voting with House Democrats to block an amendment removing Senate-inserted Labor-HHS earmarks from a FY26 funding bill, three of Alabama's Republican congressmen are being criticized by both voters and other conservative lawmakers for breaking with the party on the issue.
According to Heritage Action, the earmarks found in the bill include a $2 million request for a children's hospital in San Diego, which has conducted 'sex rejecting procedures' on at least 136 patients. Also included in the earmarks is a $3 million request for a pediatric gender and sexual health clinic in Minnesota. A $200,000 endowment was requested for a Rhode Island hospital that performs "transmasculine surgeries."
On Friday, the legislators, U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers (R-Saks), Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) and Dale Strong (R-Huntsville) explained their votes, pointing to the potential loss of community project funding as the chief reason for voting against the amendment.
"Congressman Rogers did not support the Norman amendment because it's an attempt to strip Congress's Article 1 power as granted by our constitution," a spokesperson for Roberts told 1819 News. "To strip community-funded projects would hurt the Third District. Though there are no House community-funded projects in the Labor HHS appropriations bill, our Senators have worked hard to send funds to places like Etowah County, Clay County, and Auburn University."
"Why would Chairman Rogers allow that money to go elsewhere?" the spokesperson added.
Aderholt told 1819 News that while a perfect bill is "rarely possible," the finished legislation is devoid of the "most egregious projects."
"This legislation was produced through a deliberate, member-driven negotiation process and includes community project funding that invests directly in communities across the country, all of which is subject to longstanding pro-life protections," Aderholt said.
"In a Congress as narrowly divided as it is today, producing a perfect bill is rarely possible. My staff and I worked diligently to remove the most egregious projects and to ensure that every remaining project complies with pro-life provisions. A bill written exactly as I might prefer would have little chance of ever reaching the President's desk, so we must govern in the reality we face, not the one we wish existed," he added.
Aderholt also said if the earmarks were removed, funding for Alabama projects would have been cut by $29,632,000.
Strong echoed his fellow legislators, arguing that a vote for the amendment would have cost Alabama substantial project funding.
"At every stage of the Fiscal Year 2026 process, House Republicans eliminated wasteful spending and rooted out woke Biden-era policies while protecting pro-life, America First priorities — all twelve House-passed bills reflect that commitment," said Strong. "The House Labor HHS bill contains zero earmarks."
"Voting to cut projects for Alabama and set a precedent that would allow the Senate to strip Community Project Funding for the Fifth District is not only irresponsible, it's bad governance," Strong concluded.
The amendment failed by a final vote of 136-291, with 76 Republicans joining House Democrats to block the measure.
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