Press Releases
Senior House Democrats Call for Closing of “Romney” IRA Tax Loophole
09.27.12 WASHINGTON—Members of Congress are calling on Congress’s tax-writing committees to close loopholes that may allow for the abuse of tax-preferred retirement accounts for tax evasion purposes. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-M.D.), ranking member of the House Budget Committee, today called upon the leadership of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee to consider efforts t… Continue Reading
Miller Requests that Department of Education Examine Graduation Rate Measures Under ESEA Flexibility Waivers
09.21.12 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D - Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, today sent a letter to Education Secretary Arne Duncan expressing concerns over some graduation rate accountability systems utilized by states under the Department of Education's (ED) ESEA flexibility. "We know the significant impact that increasing graduation rates will have on growing our economy and on the future economic security of those students who earn a diploma… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Department of Labor Grants to Community Colleges to Expand Education and Job Training
09.20.12 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after the U.S. Department of Labor awarded nearly $500 million to community colleges across the country. As part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) initiative, these grants support job training and workforce development opportunities in fields such as manufacturing, science, transportation and te… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Government Investigation of Fraud in Distance Learning Education
09.20.12 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California and the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education announced that 21 individuals have recently been indicted for participating in federal student aid fraud schemes at 15 schools throughout California. "I thank the Department of Education's Office of the Inspector General a… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on the NLRB Inspector General Investigative Report
09.14.12 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 on the release of a National Labor Relations Board Inspector General investigative report regarding Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon. "As the Inspector General's report lays out, the NLRB Acting General Counsel made a mistake and acted in a matter in which he had a financial interest. That is unfortunate. While the report notes… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on OMB Sequester Report
09.14.12 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 the Office of Management and Budget released the Sequestration Transparency Act Report. The report highlights the urgent need to focus on a balanced approach to deficit reduction and prevent across-the-board cuts scheduled to take effect on January 2. "Today's report underscores what everyone's known for months but only some are … Continue Reading
"Today we’re dealing with a fabricated problem, driven by election year campaigns, instead of addressing real problems for American families."
09.13.12 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce for the committee markup on H.J. Res. 118. *** The committee meets today to vote on a Republican resolution to stop HHS from exercising a longstanding waiver authority. The waiver in question would permit governors to use innovative approaches to move more welfare recipients into employment. Sixty days before a national election, the m… Continue Reading
Reps. Tierney and Miller Introduce Bill to Protect Student, Taxpayer Investment in Higher Education
09.13.12 WASHINGTON - U.S. Representatives John Tierney (D-Mass.) and George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, will introduce legislation today that would ensure the tuition dollars students and taxpayers invest in higher education at for-profit institutions are spent on educating students, not marketing or advertising. The College Student Rebate Act would safeguard student and taxpayer investment in for-profit institutions of higher education by … Continue Reading
Political resolution based on discredited claim just another example of GOP's failed leadership, Dem Reps. say
09.11.12 WASHINGTON - U.S. Reps. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.), ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, and George Miller (D-Calif.), ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statements today on Thursday's expected committees' debates and votes on a Republican bill to overturn an Obama administration proposal providing states flexibility to move more Americans from welfare to work. Experts on both sides of the aisle and independent fact checkers have conclude… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on Labor Day 2012
08.31.12 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. When the American worker does well, our middle class grows, our economy prospers, and our democracy stays strong. "To honor workers this Labor … Continue Reading
Miller Statement on PBGC’s Revaluation of United Airlines Pension Plans
08.15.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D- Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education the Workforce Committee, released the following statement today after the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) announced that beginning today and over the next few weeks, the PBGC will be notifying United Airlines pension plan participants and beneficiaries whether there will be any changes to their pension benefits as the result of corrections made to plan asset valuations. “The PBGC’s new rework … Continue Reading
New Government Report Finds More Needs to be Done to Help Students with Disabilities Transition to College, Careers
08.07.12 WASHINGTON - a new government report released today found that students with disabilities face several challenges accessing services that may assist them as they transition from high school into postsecondary education or the workforce. The report, issued by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and conducted at the request of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D -Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, highlights challenges students with disabilities face … Continue Reading
Rep. Miller: Job Creation Would Be Much Stronger if GOP Worked with Pres. Obama to Spur Economy
08.03.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after today's jobs report showed the 29th straight month of private-sector job creation. Over this period, a total of 4.5 million private-sector jobs have been created. "Economists reacted generally positively to today's announcement that 163,000 jobs were created overall in July, including 172,000 private-sector jobs. And for good reason… Continue Reading
Lawmakers Raise Questions on “Mitt Romney” IRA Tax Loophole
08.02.12 WASHINGTON - Members of Congress are raising new questions about possible abuse of tax-preferred retirement accounts by wealthy individuals like former Gov. Mitt Romney and others. Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.), ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, and Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-M.D.), ranking member of the Budget Committee, asked federal officials today for information on the prevalence of misusin… Continue Reading
Under Tierney Rule, Millions of Families and Employers Now Receiving Rebate Checks from Insurance Companies
08.01.12 WASHINGTON - Americans across the country are now being sent rebate checks from their insurance companies as a result of the "Tierney Rule," included as part of the Affordable Care Act. The Tierney Rule" also called the medical loss ratio' or the 80/20 rule, requires insurance companies to spend generally at least 80 cents of every dollar that Americans pay in premiums on health care versus CEO pay and bonuses and other administrative costs . If this requirement is not met, insur… Continue Reading
More than 100 House Democrats Introduce Bill to Increase the Minimum Wage
07.26.12 WASHINGTON - Saying it is time for working people to get a raise, Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, led more than 100 other House Democrats in introducing legislation today to raise the minimum wage to $9.80. This would be the first increase in the minimum wage since 2009 and the first increase in the minimum wage for tipped-workers in 21 years. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is expected to introduce companion legislation in… Continue Reading
House GOP Panel Holds Hearing on Proposals to Weaken the Middle Class
07.25.12 WASHINGTON - A House labor committee held its 7th partisan hearing today to examine numerous proposals that would benefit the powerful and well-connected over working families and their rights. Rather than moving forward on efforts to grow and strengthen the nation’s middle class, the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee instead considered a variety of bills proposed by Republicans that will weaken the National Labor Relations Act and workers’ rights. “I think the American peopl… Continue Reading
Miller Requests Hearing on the Impact of Sequestration
07.25.12 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, today requested that Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) schedule a hearing to examine the impact of sequestration on programs within the committee's jurisdiction, on the individuals and families served by those programs and on the economy. If Congress does not chart a different fiscal path, federal programs will see across-the-board cuts - known as sequestration - of approximately… Continue Reading
Committee Dems Push Amendments to Protect American Workers and Jobs, Not Special Interests
07.23.12 WASHINGTON - House Education and the Workforce Committee Democrats today called on House Republicans to allow a full vote on amendments to ensure workers and jobs are protected from special interest legislation set to be debated this week. The Rules Committee will begin debate this afternoon on whether to allow any amendments to be offered to Republican legislation (H.R. 4078) that, if enacted, would block rules to protect workers from health and safety hazards and stymy agency-level efforts to … Continue Reading
Miller Statement on New Private Student Lending Report
07.20.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D - Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after a new joint report from the U.S. Department of Education and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) found that students were another group of consumers who were adversely affected by the boom and bust of the subprime lending financial crisis. The report found that risky lending practices and loose underwriting has resulted in… Continue Reading