Press Releases
Miller: Colombia Trade Deal Fails to Promote American Jobs and Values
10.11.11 WASHINGTON - Below are the remarks of Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, on the consideration of the proposed free trade agreements during a debate on the House floor this afternoon: "One of our most important responsibilities as elected officials is to promote and protect American jobs and values. When it comes to trade, jobs and values go hand in hand. To promote American jobs, we must promote American values. "We do this by … Continue Reading
Miller: Employment Report Shows Need to Pass American Jobs Act Now
10.07.11 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement on today's jobs report. "Today's jobs report makes it clear once again that we must do more to create jobs now. Congress should pass the American Jobs Act now. This plan answers Americans' most pressing need - jobs. There is no other comprehensive plan before Congress that will both create jobs now and lay the foundation for future economic growth th… Continue Reading
Miller, Harkin Reintroduce Legislation to Prevent Child Abuse in Teen Residential Programs
10.06.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two senior Democratic lawmakers from the House and the Senate today reintroduced legislation to stop abuse in teen residential programs. The Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2011, championed by U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the Senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee and U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee would set common-sense, minimum safety stand… Continue Reading
GOP Proposal to Roll Back Protections will Put Workers in Unnecessary Danger
10.05.11 WASHINGTON - A Republican proposal to block some workplace safety protections drafted by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration would put workers in unnecessary danger, members of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee learned today. “Today, we heard about the human cost that occurs when OSHA isn’t able to do its job,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, the senior Democrat on the subcommittee. “The Republican riders added to the House appropriations draft bill will make this worse by… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Alabama Immigration Law
10.05.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after a federal judge refused to block several harmful provisions in Alabama's immigration law. "America's public education system was built on principles of access and equity. Alabama's immigration law is simply anti-child and a blatant attack on students who want nothing but to do well in school. Instead of using the education system as a back-do… Continue Reading
Another GOP Bill Wages War against Working Families
10.05.11 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement on the introduction of a Republican bill to roll back a few recent National Labor Relations Boards decisions and policies (H.R. 3094). Some of these items were covered in a recent committee hearing. “This bill is just another example of the class war being waged against working families by the Republican majority on behalf of special interests. Giving bi… Continue Reading
Republican Labor-HHS Bill a Significant Step Backwards
10.04.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after Chairman Rehberg unveiled a draft Labor, Health and Education appropriations bill. “The Republican draft Labor, Health and Education appropriations bill released last week represents a significant step backwards for our nation’s working families, from students to workers and those struggling to secure a job. It signals that, once again, Repu… Continue Reading
Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX) Opening Statement for the Hearing on “Modernizing the Workforce Investment Act: Developing an Effective Job Training System for Workers and Employers"
10.04.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce for the hearing on "Modernizing the Workforce Investment Act: Developing an Effective Job Training System for Workers and Employers. *** Thank you, Chairwoman Foxx. … Continue Reading
Government Investigation Finds High Risk of Fraud in Distance Learning Education
09.28.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new, alarming report issued by the Department of Education's Office Of Inspector General (OIG) raises serious concerns about fraud vulnerabilities among distance learning programs. The report shows examples of individuals conspiring to defraud Title IV programs of the Higher Education Act by enrolling significant numbers of "straw" students in distance education programs and keeping excess federal aid funds above tuition and fees before dropping out. U.S. Rep. George Miller … Continue Reading
Government Investigation Finds High Risk of Fraud in Distance Learning Education
09.27.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - A new, alarming report issued by the Department of Education's Office Of Inspector General (OIG) raises serious concerns about fraud vulnerabilities among distance learning programs. The report shows examples of individuals conspiring to defraud Title IV programs of the Higher Education Act by enrolling significant numbers of "straw" students in distance education programs and keeping excess federal aid funds above tuition and fees before dropping out. U.S. Rep. George Miller … Continue Reading
Miller Statement on New Job Training Grants Issued as Part of Miller's Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA)
09.26.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after the U.S. Departments of Education and Labor awarded nearly $500 million to community colleges across the country. These grants will support job training and workforce development opportunities and were funded through the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act at no new cost to taxpayers. This is the first installment of the $2 billion, four-ye… Continue Reading
Committee GOP Ignores Calls to Address Jobs, Continues Partisan Hearings against Workers’ Rights
09.22.11 WASHINGTON - Despite calls to examine President Obama’s job proposals nearly two weeks ago, House Education and the Workforce Committee Republican held a fourth hearing attacking the National Labor Relations Board, which enforces workers’ labor rights. “I just wish this House would put half as much effort into addressing America’s top concern of jobs and the economy,” said Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat of the committee. “This committee should be doing whatever it can to grow… Continue Reading
Miller Announces eForum on Jobs
09.22.11 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, today launched an online forum on portions of President Obama’s American Jobs Act. The “eForum” invites the American people to submit their stories about how the economic downturn has affected their lives in several areas. “With 14 million Americans looking for work, time is of the essence. In order to effectively evaluate the President’s job proposal, Congress must gather facts f… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Obama’s New Waivers to NCLB
09.22.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement after President Barack Obama announced today that he would allow states to apply for waivers from certain parts of No Child Left Behind in exchange for adopting reforms that include college and career ready standards, new accountability, school improvement systems and meaningful teacher and school leader evaluations. "President Obama has presented state… Continue Reading
Kildee Statement at the Hearing on “Education Reforms: Ensuring the Education System is Accountable to Parents and Communities
09.21.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI), the ranking member of the Subcommittee On Early Childhood, Elementary, And Secondary Education of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce for the hearing on "Education Reforms: Ensuring the Education System is Accountable to Parents and Communities" *** Thank you Mr. Chairman for calling this subcommittee hearing. I was impressed by the quality of our discussion on accountability issues in the Full C… Continue Reading
Harkin, Miller Statement on DOL Fiduciary Regulation
09.19.11 WASHINGTON - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP), and Representative George Miller (CA-7), ranking member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, today issued the following statement after the Department of Labor announced that it will be reproposing its rule clarifying who is a fiduciary with respect to retirement plans: "Today, the Department of Labor announced it would be taking further steps to make sure that i… Continue Reading
House Republicans Approve Bill to Protect Illegal Job Outsourcers
09.15.11 WASHINGTON - The House approved a special interest bill today that would make it easier for corporations to ship jobs overseas in retaliation against American workers for exercising their fundamental labor rights. The bill, dubbed the GOP’s Outsourcers’ Bill of Rights (H.R. 2587), would remove the only meaningful legal remedy available to workers if a company illegally moves operations or eliminates work because workers engage in protected activities like forming a union or collective bargainin… Continue Reading
Miller: GOP’s Job Outsourcers’ Bill of Rights is a Reckless Assault on Working Americans
09.15.11 WASHNIGTON - Below are the prepared House floor remarks of Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, on H.R. 2587, the GOP’s Job Outsourcers’ Bill of Rights. *** Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2587. This special interest bill is a job killer. It was spurred by a particular case, involving a Fortune 500 corporation, the Boeing Company. But this bill is not just about Boeing. All working people across this country … Continue Reading
Miller: GOP’s Job Outsourcers’ Bill of Rights is a Reckless Assault on Working Americans
09.15.11 WASHNIGTON - Below are the prepared House floor remarks of Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, on H.R. 2587, the GOP's Job Outsourcers' Bill of Rights. *** Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2587. This special interest bill is a job killer. It was spurred by a particular case, involving a Fortune 500 corporation, the Boeing Company. But this bill is not just about Boeing. All working people across this country s… Continue Reading
Accountability Must Be a Priority in the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
09.14.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Fixing No Child Left Behind (NCLB) must be a top priority for Congress, and focus has to be put on ensuring accountability in schools for all students, witnesses told the Education and the Workforce Committee. "Without accountability, it is too easy to return to a time, prior to NCLB, when students' actual performance was masked by averages. Accountability was at the heart of No Child Left Behind. The law shined a bright light on how all students were performing, including lo… Continue Reading