Press Releases
Miller Statement on California Legislation to Pause on Accountability for Millions of Students
09.10.13 Washington - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement today in response to the Obama administration's statement regarding California's pending legislation, Assembly Bill 484, that would remove millions of students from state assessments leading to a year or more gap in information on student progress, which would be a violation of current federal law. As a result, many parents and schools would be… Continue Reading
Students & Taxpayers Will Be Better Protected Under Ed Department’s Efforts, Says Inspector General
09.10.13 WASHINGTON - Recent higher education proposals and other efforts by the U.S. Department of Education, including a “gainful employment” regulation currently under negotiation, would help better protect students and taxpayers from waste and fraud, according to an analysis by the agency’s independent inspector general released today. This analysis is contrary to a House GOP-authored bill, H.R. 2637, that would block these efforts to strengthen the integrity of federal student-aid programs. “We bel… Continue Reading
Congress Must Better Support Education Research, Witnesses Tell House Education Panel
09.10.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The federal government should support education research that is rigorous, relevant to real-world problems, and geared to understanding what works and what should be improved in the classroom, witnesses told the House Education and the Workforce Committee today. Currently, less than 1 percent of the federal education budget goes to research - far less than in other fields. “Research is not effective if it only answers abstract questions or is published in a professional journ… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on Labor Day 2013
09.02.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today commemorating Monday's Labor Day holiday. "On Labor Day, we honor all the men and women who built this country and keep our economy running. Working people are the backbone of our nation. That's why we should ensure that the hard-won rights of American workers are respected and not stripped away by special interests in Washington … Continue Reading
Rep. Miller Statement on Dept. of Education’s Waiver Renewal Guidelines
08.29.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after the U.S. Department of Education released guidelines for 35 states (Rounds 1 and 2) to renew their flexibility under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as No Child Left Behind. "The Department of Education must take this opportunity to hold a high bar for states-in some cases raising the bar-to ensure… Continue Reading
Rep. Miller Statement on Today’s Fast Food Worker Actions
08.29.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after fast food workers in cities all across the country walked off their jobs today demanding a living wage. Rep. Miller is the House author of The Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 1010) that would increase the federal minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. "Today, I stand with workers across the country who are striving to build a better life for the… Continue Reading
Benefits of the Affordable Care Act Highlighted at Kentucky Field Hearing Despite Intense GOP Sabotage Efforts
08.27.13 LEXINGTON, Ky. - Despite a failing effort to repeal and discredit the nation's health reform law, the Affordable Care Act is already helping Kentuckians and millions of Americans to afford health care, and promises to be a game-changer for working families with a preexisting health condition who are shut out from quality and affordable insurance today, members of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions in Lexington, Ky. learned today. "Across the country, the ACA is putting c… Continue Reading
Reps. Miller, Courtney Applaud DOL’s Proposed Rule to Protect Health, Safety of American Workers
08.22.13 WASHINGTON - Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, and Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), the senior Democrat on the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, issued the following statements today regarding the U.S. Department of Labor's proposed rule to strengthen workplace safety protections regarding exposure to Silica. "I commend Labor Secretary Tom Perez and OSHA Director Dr. David Michaels for proposing powerful new protections to reduce lung… Continue Reading
Miller Applauds Proposed Elimination of Rule Around ‘2 Percent Assessment’ for Students with Disabilities
08.22.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, today issued the following statement after U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced publication of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal register to terminate the use of the "2 percent assessment" for students with disabilities under Title I of ESEA after the 2013-2014 school year. Under the existing regulations, States have been allowed to develop alter… Continue Reading
Miller: Promising Proposals from President Obama to Rein in College Costs
08.22.13 Washington, DC - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement on President Obama's proposals to address access, innovation and affordability in post-secondary education. "President Obama is offering a bold effort to rein in skyrocketing college costs. As Congress works to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, his important ideas must be drivers in our conversations to push America's higher education system in… Continue Reading
Miller Applauds ED Guidance to Protect Students with Disabilities from Bullying, Harassment
08.20.13 WASHINGTON- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce committee, released the following statement today in response to the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services "Dear Colleague" guidance to ensure that students with disabilities have access to educational opportunities free from bullying and harassment as required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). "I thank the department f… Continue Reading
GAO Uncovers Significant Nonreporting by Charter Schools on English Language Learners
08.15.13 WASHINGTON - While charter schools have increased in number and have become an important part of our education system, a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that many charter schools are not reporting data on the enrollment of English Language Learners (ELLs) in their schools. Equally troubling, the GAO found that the issues uncovered in its report are not limited to ELL enrollment. The GAO and the Department of Education (ED) have uncovered significant gaps i… Continue Reading
President Obama Signs Legislation to Save Students Billions in Lower Interest on Student Loans
08.08.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after President Obama signed into law the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act. Passed in the House by a vote of 392 to 31, the legislation reverses the July 1 doubling of interest rates for more than 7.4 million students and provides students and parents $25 billion in student debt relief through lower interest payments over the next seve… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on California School Districts' NCLB Waiver Application
08.06.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education announced that the California Office to Reform Education (CORE) would be granted flexibility from certain parts of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in exchange for adopting reforms that include college and career ready standards, new school improvement systems, and meaningful teacher and school leader evaluations… Continue Reading
Miller: GOP Leaders Standing on the Throat of the American Economy
08.02.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement on today's jobs report from the Department of Labor. "Job growth is always better than job losses, but today's jobs report clearly shows we have more work to do to help get Americans back to work. The monthly jobs numbers might be enough for my Republican friends in Congress, but they're not good enough for me and I know they're not good eno… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on Obama Executive Order to Improve Chemical Facility Safety and Security
08.01.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after President Obama signed an executive order today asking federal agencies to develop a plan to improve safety oversight, and coordination and informational sharing with other agencies at chemical plants and other facilities that store dangerous chemicals. "President Obama's executive order is a positive step to better protect the safety … Continue Reading
House Passes Bipartisan Student Loan Legislation Saving Borrowers Billions
07.31.13 WASHINGTON - The U.S. House of Representatives today approved bipartisan legislation that would reverse the July 1 student loan interest rate hike. By a vote of 392 to 31, the House passed the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act, bipartisan legislation that the Senate approved last week, which provides students and parents $25 billion in student debt relief through lower interest payments over the next several years compared to current law. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signatur… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on Senate Confirmation of NLRB Nominations
07.30.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate confirmed five nominees to the National Labor Relations Board, the first full slate of appointees to the agency in a decade. "I congratulate the five newly Senate-confirmed members of the National Labor Relation Board. For the first time in more than a decade, the NLRB will have a full slate of Senate-approved board members.… Continue Reading
Legislation Introduced to Protect Older Workers from Employment Discrimination
07.30.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, introduced legislation today that restores vital civil rights protections for older workers in the face of the Supreme Court's 2009 decision in Gross v. FBL Financial. Sens. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) also introduced similar legislation in the Senate today. "As we have seen a number of times over the last few years, the Supreme Court overturn… Continue Reading
Republicans Pass Bill that Exposes Students and Taxpayers to Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Higher Education
07.24.13 WASHINGTON - With a vote of 22-13, Republicans on the Education and the Workforce committee today approved legislation that would repeal critical protections for students and parents while at the same time stymieing the administration from being able to root out waste, fraud and abuse in our federal student aid programs. "By halting critical rules on accountability and integrity in the student aid system this bill makes college more expensive, leaves taxpayer investments at risk, and hurts the … Continue Reading