Press Releases
Miller Statement on the 40th Anniversary of the Pell Grant Program
06.22.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D - Calif.), the senior democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, today issued the following statement on the 40th anniversary of the Pell Grant program. “40 years ago, Congress took steps to make the dream of a college degree a reality for millions of low- and middle-income students and their families with the passage of the Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, known today as the Pell Grant program. Since its inception in 1972, the Pell Gr… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on the 40th Anniversary of Title IX
06.22.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D - Calif.), the senior democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, today issued the following statement on the 40th anniversary of Title IX. According to the National Women's Law Center, before the passage of Title IX, it was common for schools to discourage young women from studying math or science, and to encourage them to focus on domestic skills, like cooking, sewing and child rearing. There were few opportunities for girls to play sports… Continue Reading
GAO Report Finds Students with Disabilities Underrepresented in our Nation’s Charter Schools
06.20.12 WASHINGTON - As charter schools continue to grow steadily and have become an important part of our education system, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that nationally, charter schools are not serving students with disabilities at the same rates as traditional public schools. In addition, while charter schools have the potential to provide students with increased educational options, additional measures are needed to ensure access for students with disabilities. The charter schoo… Continue Reading
New Data from the Department of Education Empowers Families to Make Informed Decisions about Higher Education
06.11.12 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education released new information on college costs. Displayed on the Department of Education's College Affordability and Transparency Center website, the college cost data highlights institutions with the highest and lowest tuition and fees and net prices. It also lists schools where costs are rising the fastest - provi… Continue Reading
Ed & Workforce Republicans Approve Legislation that Harms Job Training and Job Creation Efforts
06.07.12 WASHINGTON - Today, House Education and the Workforce Committee Republicans pushed Workforce Investment Act legislation (H.R. 4297) through the committee that walks away from Congress’ duty to help create and sustain a highly-skilled workforce, especially for the most disadvantaged workers. “We should be building a workforce system to expand opportunity for all Americans, builds on what works, gives businesses the workers they need to compete globally and grows the middle class,” said Rep. Geor… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement after his Meeting with Upper Big Branch Mine Tragedy Families
06.07.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Labor Committee, issued the following statement after meeting today with families who lost loved ones at the April 2010 Upper Big Branch Mine explosion that killed 29 miners. Families were on Capitol Hill meeting with lawmakers asking them to strengthen protections for miners and increase penalties for mine operators who put miners in danger. It has been two years, two months and two days sinc… Continue Reading
Miller, Durbin Urge Examination of Student Debit Card Practices
06.07.12 WASHINGTON - 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, today sent letters to Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Richard Cordray and Department of Education Inspector General Kathleen Tighe, expressing concern over the adverse financial impact debit card agreements between banks and institutions of higher educati… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on Senate GOP Blocking Equal Pay Legislation
06.05.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement today after Senate Republicans voted to block consideration of the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that will help women better fight pay discrimination. “I’m deeply disappointed that Senate Republicans blocked a debate on a bill to ensure women get equal pay for equal work. Equal pay for equal work is not only about basic fairness, i… Continue Reading
Rep. Miller: GOP Plan to Win Power by Killing Jobs Destructive to Middle Class Families, American Economy
06.01.12 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 regarding the May jobs report and needing to do more to help the American economy. "There are a number of factors that are negatively affecting the American economy, the Euro-crisis being one of the most significant that is out of our control. But make no mistake about what we are seeing here in our own country that is crippling … Continue Reading
Small Business Owner Testifies Health Reform Already Reducing Cost Increases, Promises to Level Playing Field
05.31.12 WASHINGTON - The new health reform law is helping small businesses right now and promises to do more by leveling the playing field for the small businesses who provide quality health coverage to their employees, according to a small business owner who testified before a House health subcommittee today. “Small businesses across Washington State and across the country can’t afford to go back to the broken health care marketplace we faced before reform. We need to keep moving forward,” said Jod… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on NLRB Member Terence Flynn’s Resignation
05.29.12 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 after National Labor Relations Board Member Terence Flynn announced that he will resign on July 24th and recuse himself from Board actions until then. The NLRB’s Inspector General found that Flynn disclosed deliberative and nonpublic information on pending cases and other pending NLRB actions to outside parties, including to an … Continue Reading
Members of Congressional Monitoring Group on Labor Rights in Colombia Send Letter to President Obama
05.24.12 George Miller, the senior Democratic member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, joined other members of the Congressional Monitoring Group on Labor Rights in Colombia in sending a letter to President Obama last week expressing concern over a number of recent incidents of violence and threats against labor activists in Colombia. With the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement going into force earlier this month, the members emphasized the need for continued engagement with Colombia on its w… Continue Reading
GAO: Employers Don’t Understand All the Fees in the 401(k) Plans they Sponsor
05.23.12 WASHINGTON - A new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released today by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) shows that many employers GAO surveyed do not understand or were unable to identify the 401(k) fees that they and their employees pay. Without the ability to determine the fees charged to both employers that sponsor 401(k) plans and the workers who participate in them, employers and employees may be paying much higher costs than they are aware of, resulting in reduced retirem… Continue Reading
House GOP Block Effort to Restore Health and Safety Protections and Oversight at Nuclear Weapons Facilities
05.17.12 WASHINGTON - House Republicans rejected consideration of an amendment last night to the defense authorization bill to restore important health and safety protections for workers and residents who live near nuclear weapons facilities operated by the Department of Energy. The amendment, offered by Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.), Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) and Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), would remove provisions of the Defense Authorization Act (HR 4310) that weaken a number of worker and public safet… Continue Reading
National Defense Authorization Act Threatens to Roll Back Safety Standards at Nuclear Sites
05.16.12 This week, the full House will debate two important amendments to last week’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) related to nuclear safety: one offered by Representatives Miller (CA), Visclosky (IN), and Sanchez (CA) to strike NDAA provisions that would erode safety standards and weaken oversight, and another offered by Rep. Smith (WA) that would strike provisions removing nuclear weapons from the Secretary of Energy’s jurisdiction. The Miller et al. amendment would protect the “adeq… Continue Reading
Parent Involvement Critical to Successful Public Schools, Witnesses Tell Education Subcommittee
05.16.12 WASHINGTON - Parents should be empowered to ensure their local schools live up to the promise to educate all children, witnesses told the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education at a hearing today. Specifically, they said parents should be equipped with the knowledge and tools they need to advocate for their children and be part of decision-making in the schools to ensure that both students and schools are successful. "In order to effectively engage, parents m… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Department of Education Guidelines to Reduce Seclusion and Restraint in Schools
05.15.12 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today following the release of the Department of Education’s Restraint and Seclusion: Resource Document. The resource document provides states and local school districts with guidelines and principles for developing state policies on seclusion and restraint in schools. Though there are federal safety standards on the use of seclusion and restrain… Continue Reading
Miller, Holt Statement on NAEP Science Report Card
05.11.12 WASHINGTON - U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Rush Holt (D-NJ) released the following statement today in response to the National Assessment Governing Board's report card on the performance of U.S. eighth grade students in science from the 2011 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). "The NAEP Science 2011 report card contains good news for science education citing numerous examples of improvements in sc… Continue Reading
Democrats Request Committee Hearing into “Most Corrosive Scandal” in National Labor Relations Board History
05.11.12 WASHINGTON - Top Democrats of the House Education and the Workforce Committee today called on the Republican chairman to hold a hearing with the Inspector General of the National Labor Relations Board into evidence he uncovered involving current and former Republican members of the Board and the transmission of confidential government information to private parties. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the committee, and Rep. Robert Andrews (D-N.J.), the ranking member… Continue Reading
GAO Issues Report on Prevalence of Workplace Policies that May Discourage Injury and Illness Reporting
05.09.12 WASHINGTON - Workplace safety incentive programs and other policies in a majority of manufacturing worksites covering millions of workers have elements that may discourage the reporting of workplace related injuries and illnesses, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released today. GAO recommended that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issue new guidance to assist inspectors in identifying which safety incentives programs are eff… Continue Reading