Press Releases
GAO Report Raises Questions about College Accreditation Process, Miller Says
12.21.14 WASHINGTON-College and university accreditation aims to ensure that schools are providing their students with a quality education, but a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) casts doubt about whether accreditors are adequately holding schools accountable for student success. GAO's analysis raises important questions about the current federal framework for accreditation, including whether accrediting agencies are effectively assessing academic quality and how the Department … Continue Reading
Miller: Final NLRB Rule Will Modernize Union Election Process
12.12.14 WASHINGTON-Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement today in support of the National Labor Relation Board's (NLRB) final rule to update and streamline union election procedures. "Today, the NLRB took a step to modernize union elections and give workers a much fairer shake when deciding on union representation. The current process is broken and allows for unscrupulous employers to threaten, coerce, and int… Continue Reading
House Passes Bipartisan Multiemployer Pension Reform
12.11.14 WASHINGTON—After a bipartisan agreement to reform the multiemployer pension plan system and protect millions of workers from financial catastrophe was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives today, Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) and Senior Democratic Member George Miller (D-Calif.) issued the following joint statement: “Tonight a bipartisan Congress put workers and businesses one step closer toward having the tools they need to come together and save … Continue Reading
Miller: Guidance to Improve Education Services in Youth Correctional Facilities ‘Critical’
12.08.14 WASHINGTON-Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement today in support of the new guidance package released by the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice on providing quality education services to young people in juvenile justice facilities nationwide: "Every child in this country has the right to a high-quality education-and this includes students in the care of juvenile justice facilities. The Departme… Continue Reading
Bonamici Introduces Bill to Support High-Quality Assessments in Schools
12.08.14 WASHINGTON- States need additional support as they design and implement assessment systems that are aligned to high standards, so Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.), a leading Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Jim Gerlach (R-Penn.) today introduced the Support Making Assessments Reliable and Timely (SMART) Act. The legislation will help states and school districts improve their use of assessments, better align testing with college- and career-ready standa… Continue Reading
Senior Lawmakers Introduce Sweeping Reforms to Black Lung Benefits Program
11.20.14 WASHINGTON-Senior Democrats from the House and Senate today proposed sweeping reforms to the federal program that provides benefits to coal miners suffering from black lung disease. Federal law requires that coal companies compensate disabled miners who contract black lung, which is caused by inhaling coal dust over an extended period of time, but coal companies routinely deploy an array of unfair tactics to avoid paying miners the benefits they deserve. To help level the playing field for mine… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Election of Rep. Scott as Ranking Member of Committee on Education and the Workforce
11.19.14 WASHINGTON-House Democrats today elected Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA) as the next Ranking Member for the Committee on Education and the Workforce, succeeding Rep. George Miller (D-CA), who is retiring at the end of this session of Congress. Rep. Miller released the following statement upon announcement of the election results: "I am thrilled that my Democratic colleagues have selected Congressman Bobby Scott as the next Ranking Member of the Education and the Workforce Committee. For the… Continue Reading
Miller, Harkin Press Education Department on Behalf of Struggling Borrowers
11.18.14 WASHINGTON-Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, today questioned the Department of Education (ED) about its new policies for calculating how many student borrowers at a given school have defaulted on their loans. The recent changes will allow poorly performing institutions to continue operating, putting more student borrowers a… Continue Reading
Kline, Miller Praise Senate Passage of Bill to Update Child Care Program
11.17.14 WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the committee, praised the Senate's passage of a bill to improve and reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant today. House and Senate leaders negotiated the bipartisan agreement in September, and the House approved the legislation shortly thereafter. The bill will now headed to President Obama's desk to be signed into law. "Today we mo… Continue Reading
Miller: Ahead of Open Enrollment Period, It’s Clear ACA is Working
11.14.14 WASHINGTON-Americans will once again be able to shop for health insurance tomorrow when the second annual open enrollment period in the Health Insurance Marketplace begins. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and co-author of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the law that created the Marketplace, released the following statement: "The Affordable Care Act is working today-and as we head into year two, it is more apparent than ever t… Continue Reading
Ahead of NCLB Waiver Guidance, Miller and Tri-Caucus Reissue Call to Protect Educational Equity, Civil Rights
11.11.14 WASHINGTON—In advance of the Department of Education’s release of guidance to states on what they must do to keep their No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers, senior Democratic lawmakers Monday called on the Department to protect the civil rights of children nationwide. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Cauc… Continue Reading
Miller: Gainful Employment Rule Raises Expectations for Career Colleges
10.30.14 WASHINGTON-The U.S. Department of Education today announced final rules to help ensure that career colleges accepting federal funds improve outcomes for students and protect consumers from waste, fraud and abuse. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement in response to the regulations: "I commend the Department of Education for moving forward with a rule that raises expectations for career programs that to… Continue Reading
House Dems Urge U.S. Businesses to Combat Gender-Based Violence in the Workplace
10.23.14 Senior Democratic lawmakers today called upon U.S. businesses to help fight gender-based violence—one of the most widespread human rights violations—in workplaces around the world and across industries. A group of 35 House Democrats sent a letter to the United States Council on International Business (USCIB), urging the group to support the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) proposed standards against workplace violence and abuse. Earlier this year, members of Congress sent a letter aski… Continue Reading
Miller Renews Call to Raise the Minimum Wage on 10/10/14, National Minimum Wage Day
10.10.14 WASHINGTON, DC - On National Minimum Wage Day, House Representative George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, reissued his call to pass H.R. 1010, the Fair Minimum Wage Act, which would raise the national minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour and index it to inflation, as well as raising the minimum wage for tipped workers. "We've all heard the arguments a thousand times by now: raising the national minimum wage to $10.10 will lift families… Continue Reading
Miller: New Report on School Accountability Shows ED Must Continue to Protect Equity in NCLB Waiver Renewals
10.09.14 WASHINGTON—New analysis released by The Education Trust today shows that despite poor performance of low-income and minority children, schools in several states have received top ratings. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement in response to the report, which calls into question certain school accountability systems and the priority they place on preserving equity in education: "Schools must be held acc… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on September Jobs Report
10.03.14 WASHINGTON-Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement today after the Department of Labor economy added 248,000 jobs in September and the unemployment rate dropped to 5.9 percent, the lowest unemployment rate since July 2008. "September's jobs report is another sign that our country is moving in the right direction after the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The economy has now seen 55 cons… Continue Reading
Miller Applauds Rule to Raise Minimum Wage for Federal Contractors, Calls on Congress to Act
10.01.14 WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final rule to raise the minimum wage for workers on federal service and construction contracts to $10.10 per hour. The rule, which implements an executive order announced by President Obama on February 12, will benefit nearly 200,000 American workers. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), praised the passage of the rule and called on Congress to enact his Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 1010) to raise the national minimum wage for all workers from $… Continue Reading
Miller: New Guidance to Combat Educational Inequality Affirms Access to Quality Teachers a Civil Rights Issue
10.01.14 WASHINGTON-Today the U.S. Department of Education released new guidance to states, school districts, and schools that provides critical civil rights protections for students across the country. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement in response to the guidance, which, for the first time, designates teacher effectiveness as a significant factor in the equal distribution of resources: "Every child, regard… Continue Reading
Miller Applauds Senate HELP Committee Passage of Education Research Bill
09.17.14 WASHINGTON-With a unanimous vote, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee today approved legislation to support federal education research and improve states' and school districts' access to information on successful education practices. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and co-sponsor of the original House version of the Strengthening Education through Research Act (SETRA), released the following statement… Continue Reading
Education Committee Dems Praise House Passage of Child Care and Development Block Grant Rewrite
09.15.14 WASHINGTON, D.C.-Reps. George Miller (D-CA), Dave Loebsack (D-IA), and Bobby Scott (D-VA), senior members of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statements today upon the House's passage of a bill to improve and reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act. "The Child Care and Development Block Grant is an indispensable resource for millions of children and families nationwide," said Rep. Miller, senior Democrat on the committee. "CCDBG enables … Continue Reading