Press Releases
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
Miller Calls on Chairman Kline to Address Abusive Seclusion and Restraint Practices in Public Schools
05.09.12 WASHINGTON, D.C. - During remarks on the House floor today, Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, called on Chairman John Kline (R-MN) to consider the Keeping All Students Safe Act - a bill to protect children from abusive seclusion and restraint practices while attending school. Although the legislation passed the House more than two years ago with bipartisan support, it never became law. “Schools are supposed to be a safe place.… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Republican Efforts to Block Democratic Student Loan Bills
05.08.12 Washington, D.C. - Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement today after House and Senate Republicans voted to block Democratic efforts to prevent student loan rates from doubling on July 1. "Today, Senate Republicans blocked debate on a Democratic student loan bill. An hour later, House Republicans yet again rejected efforts to allow a vote on a Democratic student loan bill in the House. Our young peopl… Continue Reading
Reps. Miller and Cummings Seek Information from Individuals in Recent NLRB Inspector General Investigations
05.04.12 WASHINGTON - Citing serious concerns raised by the National Labor Relations Board’s Inspector General in recent investigative reports, Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) sought additional information today from individuals named in the investigations. Miller and Cummings requested additional information from NLRB Member Brian Hayes and former NLRB Member Peter Schaumber. The Inspector General’s most recent investigative report was released Wednesday. Miller is the ran… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Calls for NLRB Board Member Terence Flynn to Resign after New Evidence of Improper Disclosures Surfaces
05.02.12 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) today called on Board Member Terence Flynn to resign after new evidence was uncovered by the National Labor Relations Board's Inspector General showing that Flynn disclosed additional deliberative and nonpublic information to outside parties. "Disclosing judges' deliberations in pending cases to outside parties, for example, is repugnant to the American justice system. Such behavior cannot be allowed to continue," wrote Rep. Miller, the senior Democrat… Continue Reading
Speaker Boehner’s Comments on Student Loans Issue Not Based in Fact, House Democratic Members Write
04.30.12 Calls to work together to keep student loan interest rates low ignored for months by House Republicans WASHINGTON - House Democratic leaders on education and public health issues wrote Speaker John Boehner today, challenging statements he made over the weekend on the pending doubling of interest rates on subsidized Stafford student loans. Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Speaker Boehner said that “Democrats and Republicans for months have been working together to try to figure out a w… Continue Reading
GOP House Approves ‘Cynical’ Bill to Keep Student Loan Rates Low by Slashing Funding to Support Women’s and Children’s Health
04.27.12 WASHINGTON - Rather than working in a bipartisan manner to prevent the doubling of student loan rates for more than 7 million college students in a fiscally responsible way, House Republicans instead pushed through partisan legislation that would harm public health. House Democrats have instead proposed to keep student loan interest rates low by eliminating billions of dollars in unwarranted tax subsidies to big oil. “Today’s vote shows that the Republicans are on very thin ice on this issue… Continue Reading
Speaker Boehner Calls Efforts to Protect Funding for Cancer Screenings for Women and Childhood Immunizations a ‘Political Stunt’ and ‘Playing Games’
04.27.12 WASHINGTON - Speaker John Boehner made a rare floor appearance today to urge his colleagues to vote against a Democratic effort to protect preventive medical care like breast and cervical cancer screenings as part of the debate to keep student loan interest rates low. Speaker Boehner’s floor speech came during the Democratic ‘motion to recommit’, which is a last-ditch parliamentary maneuver to amend the bill by a minority party. House Democrats have proposed to keep student loan interest rate… Continue Reading