Press Releases
Bill to Prevent Industrial Dust Explosions Re-Introduced in the House
02.14.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, Rep. John Barrow (D-GA), and Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), the senior Democrat of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, reintroduced legislation today to prevent workplace explosions caused by combustible industrial dusts. Five years ago, a massive explosion the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Ga. killed 14 workers, injured dozens and caused millions of … Continue Reading
Sen. Harkin and Rep. Miller Statement on President Obama’s Minimum Wage Proposal
02.13.13 Washington, D.C. - Today, Sen. Tom Harkin, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Senior Democrat and former chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement in response to President Obama's call for an increase to the federal minimum wage in his State of the Union address. Harkin and Miller have been working together on legislation to increase the minimum wage and provide for automatic future inc… Continue Reading
NLRB Nominees Should Receive Speedy Senate Confirmation, House Labor Committee Leaders Say
02.13.13 WASHINGTON - Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ), the ranking member of the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee, issued the following joint statement on President Obama's nominations today of Richard F. Griffin, Jr., and Sharon Block to the National Labor Relations Board. "President Obama has nominated two highly-qualified and respected individuals to the National Labor Rel… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on State of the Union Address
02.12.13 WASHINGTON -- Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement on tonight's State of the Union Address. "The President laid out a bold, common sense and critical agenda to grow our economy, strengthen the middle class, and reduce inequality in America. I applaud his call to raise the minimum wage, to reform taxes to ensure the wealthiest pay their fair share, and to ensure an affordable and q… Continue Reading
Rep. Miller Supports Bill to Restore Fairness in Private Student Lending
02.07.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, announced his support for legislation introduced yesterday to restore fairness in student loan lending. The Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2013 would treat privately-issued student loans the same as other types of consumer debt in bankruptcy. "Not all loan debt is created equal. Private student loans have rightly been described as the 'wild w… Continue Reading
Miller Introduces Legislation to Speed Technology Innovation into the Classroom
02.05.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, introduced legislation today that would help speed adoption of innovative digital tools to improve student outcomes, close achievement gaps, boost educator skills and improve efficiency and productivity. “Technology provides us an opportunity to tackle chronic education challenges in new ways thanks to increasing use and access, constant innovation, and falling costs. T… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on the 20th Anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act
02.05.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement marking the 20th anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act. "Today, we celebrate a monumental anniversary for our nation's working women and working families. While we celebrate, we also must remember that the Family and Medical Leave Act was only supposed to be a first step: Half of all workers are unable to take job-protected leave u… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Proposed USDA Nutritional Standards for Competitive Foods
02.01.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement today after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced proposed new standards to ensure that children have access to healthy “competitive food” options in school. Competitive foods are those sold outside of the normal breakfast and lunch programs, such as through vending machines, a la carte lines, and school stores. “Student well-… Continue Reading
Miller: Students Should Have More Access to Fee-Free ATMs on Campus
01.31.13 WASHINGTON - As students head back to school and start to receive their student aid disbursements, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce, highlighted the need for students to be more informed about the fees they may encounter on their school issued debit cards on a conference call with reporters today. Miller also underscored the need for financial institutions to be more transparent marketing their services to students and provide stud… Continue Reading
Miller, Durbin Applaud CFPB’s Efforts to Protect Students from Risky Campus Financial Products
01.31.13 WASHINGTON- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the Assistant Senate Majority Leader, released the following joint statement today after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it is launching an inquiry into the impact of campus financial products marketed to students by colleges to determine whether these arrangements are in the best interest of students. Campus f… Continue Reading
$1 Million Chevron Fine Insufficient Alone to Assure Change in Safety Culture, Rep. Miller Says
01.30.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) issued 25 citations totaling nearly $1 million against Chevron over significant violations uncovered at its Richmond, Calif. refinery after an August 6, 2012 fire. While there were no serious injuries to refinery workers who managed to escape harm, thousands of residen… Continue Reading
Committee Leaders Respond to Reports on Multiemployer Pension System
01.29.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Bipartisan leaders on the U.S. House Education and the Workforce Committee responded today to three reports on the nation's multiemployer pension system. The reports provide a broad examination of the challenges facing the pension system responsible for providing retirement benefits to more than 10 million individuals. Chairman John Kline (R-MN): "Anyone who denies the reality of the growing pension crisis is ignoring the facts. A weak pension system would not onl… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on Fourth Anniversary of Lilly Ledbetter Law
01.29.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today on the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Rep. Miller was the House author of the legislation. “Four years ago today, President Obama signed his first bill into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The Ledbetter law restored the right of women and other workers to fight pay discrimination. I rem… Continue Reading
House Democrats Applaud Efforts to Include Students with Disabilities in Extracurricular Activities
01.25.13 WASHINGTON- U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.) released the following statements today in response to the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights guidance to encourage school districts to increase opportunities for students with disabilities in physical education and athletic extracurricular activities. A 2010 GAO report, requested by Representatives Miller, Van Hollen, and McCarthy and Senator Harkin, found that schools provide … Continue Reading
Rep. Miller and Andrews’ Statement on Federal Court Ruling on NLRB Recess Appointments
01.25.13 WASHINGTON - Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Rob Andrews (D-NJ), the ranking member of the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee, issued the following joint statement today after a federal court said that President Obama’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board were invalid. “Today’s decision flies in the face of precedent and past practice. It radically undermines the ability… Continue Reading
Miller: Students May Incur Unnecessary Fees to Access Financial Aid
01.22.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller, the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, today asked Higher One Holdings, Inc. for further information on its debit card and ATM-placement practices nationwide after research indicated that students with Higher One debit cards may have difficulty accessing their financial aid free of fees due to limited ATM locations. Federal rules require that, in cases where a school opens a bank account for a student, the student must have … Continue Reading
Miller Receives Community Builder Award from National Technology Organization
01.22.13 WASHINGTON - Last night, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, received the National Coalition for Technology in Education and Training's (NCTET) 2012 Community Builder Award at the Bytes and Books Inaugural Ball. NCTET honored Rep. Miller for his efforts to bring the promise of technology into classrooms across the nation. NCTET recognized Rep. Miller for his "many years of effective work nationally to integrate technology into t… Continue Reading
Ed & Workforce Committee Democrats Announce Subcommittee Membership and Ranking Members
01.22.13 WASHINGTON - The Education and the Workforce Committee Democrats announced ranking subcommittee members and subcommittee assignments today at the full committee’s organizational meeting. “We serve on a committee that affects people’s everyday lives. What we do or don’t do in this committee will have real implications for millions of Americans,” said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the full committee. “I remain hopeful that we can work together to advance an age… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller: Final Mine Safety Rule Will Better Protect Miners' Lives, But Work Far from Completed
01.17.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration finalized a proposal today to close loopholes in the agency’s “pattern of violation” sanctions regulations that have allowed some mine operations to escape tougher penalties and face potential closure orders for a sustained pattern of health and safety violations. “I applaud the Mine… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Obama Administration Proposal to Reduce Gun Violence
01.16.13 WASHINGTON -Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today following President Obama's new policy recommendations to reduce gun violence. "I applaud President Obama for moving so quickly to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce gun violence in the United States and in our schools. I support his proposal and urge Congress to work quickly to pass it. I also look forward to working with Chairma… Continue Reading