Press Releases
GOP Budget Would Deny Pell Grants to 1.4 million students, New Data Show
04.15.11 Under the Republican budget, the maximum Pell Grant award would be cut by more than $2,500 for the 2012-2013 school year, bringing the maximum award to $3,040, the lowest it’s been since 1998. New data from the Department of Education show that the Republican budget would result in almost 1.4 million students losing eligibility for Pell grants, and all students receiving significantly reduced awards. For students, this could make college far less affordable. “The Republican budget has America’s… Continue Reading
New Data Show Thousands of Students In Every Congressional District Rely on Pell Grants to Pay for College
04.14.11 Thousands of students in every Congressional district will use a Pell Grant to help pay for college in the upcoming school year, according to new data released today. Under the Democratic majority, the Pell Grant increased to its highest level ever. Beginning in 2014, the grant will keep up with rising costs-of-living being indexed to the Consumer Price Index. In U.S. Rep. George Miller’s (D-CA) district, 17,197 are expected to receive a Pell Grant in the 2011-2012 school year.Under the Republic… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on Equal Pay Day
04.12.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement on Equal Pay Day. “Today, our nation marks the day in 2011 that it takes for a woman in our country to make as much as a man in all of 2010. Equal pay for equal work is about basic fairness and justice. It is also about making sure families have the purchasing power they deserve. There is no moral or economic justification for paying women… Continue Reading
Witnesses and Lawmakers Agree – It is Time to Reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
04.08.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Witnesses called on Congress today to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, a changed federal role, with more emphasis on communities and parents specifically with a modern accountability system that better measures student and school performance, including a high quality assessment system, better data usage, and more local decision-making on how to address their students needs. Witnesses also called for the rewrite to happen very soon.“My conclusion is that… Continue Reading
Witnesses and Lawmakers Agree – It is Time to Reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
04.07.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Witnesses called on Congress today to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, a changed federal role, with more emphasis on communities and parents specifically with a modern accountability system that better measures student and school performance, including a high quality assessment system, better data usage, and more local decision-making on how to address their students needs. Witnesses also called for the rewrite to happen very soon.“My conclusion is that… Continue Reading
NEWS--6 Democratic House Members issue statement on Colombia FTA "Action Plan"
04.06.11 STATEMENT ON PROPOSED U.S.-COLOMBIA ACTION PLAN AGREEMENT FOR FREE TRADE AGREEMENTU.S. REPS JIM McGOVERN (MA), GEORGE MILLER (CA), ROSA DeLAURO (CT), MIKE MICHAUD (ME), LINDA SÁNCHEZ (CA) AND JAN SCHAKOWSKY (IL) The information provided by the White House so far today outlines a series of actions the Colombian government must take by July 30th. While we welcome these initiatives, we are particularly concerned that we will not have time to determine whether they have been fully carried out - le… Continue Reading
Moving Forward with ESEA Reauthorization and Other Legislative Action Would Address Government Waste, Witness Tells Education Panel
04.06.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Consolidating programs through the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and addressing directly other administrative duplication would save taxpayer dollars, Gene Dodaro, the Comptroller General from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) told the Education and the Workforce Committee today. “This hearing made it very clear that certain legislative action is necessary to make government more efficient but unfortunately, the report did not give enou… Continue Reading
Miller: There Is No Room for Torture and Abuse In America’s Schools
04.06.11 Miller Introduces Legislation to Protect Students in School from Harmful Abuse WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, introduced The Keeping All Students Safe Act, bipartisan legislation to prevent schoolchildren from being abused as a result of inappropriate uses of restraint and seclusion, often involving untrained staff. According to government investigations, these abusive practices were used disproportionat… Continue Reading
THURSDAY: REPS. DELAURO, MILLER FIGHT BACK AGAINST REPUBLICAN ATTACKS ON PELL GRANTS
04.06.11 H.R. 1 and new budget slash education funding, will cut support for over 9 million college studentsWashington, DC— From 2:00pm- 2:30pm on Thursday, April 7, 2011, Representatives Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) and George Miller (CA-7) will hold a press conference at the House Triangle to speak out against the proposed Republican cuts to education funding, and specifically Pell Grants. Over 9 million college students in this country rely on Pell Grants to afford college, the most since the program was start… Continue Reading
Rep. Miller: One Year Later, a Promise Unfulfilled to Families of Upper Big Branch
04.05.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives today commemorating the Upper Big Branch mine tragedy in Montcoal, West Virginia that occurred on April 5, 2010. As the chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, Rep. Miller called the only hearings last year that included families and miners of the mine disaster. He was also the lead sponsor of legislation to protect … Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on Vote to Keep Anti-Democratic Provision in FAA Bill
04.01.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after House Republicans voted against allowing a majority of those voting in aviation and rail union elections to decide the outcome. The FAA reauthorization bill would change federal rules by making a worker who didn’t vote in a union election as automatically counting as a “no” vote. “Republicans voted today to stuff the ballot box aga… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Anniversary of Historic Education and Health Care Law
03.30.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee and the lead author of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), which was enacted into law one year ago today, released the following statement commemorating the anniversary of the law. “A year ago today, President Obama enacted a law that changed the future for all Americans. We decided that health care should be a right, not a privilege. We also decided that our student… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on DC Voucher Program
03.30.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would continue the D.C. voucher program. The program has been proven to be wildly unsuccessful. Studies show the D.C. voucher program does not increase student achievement or graduate students prepared for college or careers. The bill also costs an estimated $300 million over five years an… Continue Reading
ADVISORY FOR TOMORROW: House Democrats to Hold Press Call to Discuss Democratic Accomplishments for Young Adults
03.28.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Celebrating the anniversary of the most sweeping overhaul to health care and student loans in recent history, Democratic lawmakers will hold a conference call tomorrow at 10:30 EDT to discuss the success of the student aid investments, as well as the provision allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until age 26 passed under the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act. One year ago, Democrats saved taxpayers $61 billion by elim… Continue Reading
One year later, health reform law is working
03.22.11 CONCORD, CA - Health reform signed into law by President Obama one year ago is making a real difference in the lives of Bay Area residents, small business employees, and millions of Americans across the country, said Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez), at a rally in Concord Tuesday. And repealing the law, warned Miller, would be a disaster for families, the elderly and local businesses.Miller spoke to a rally at the Concord Seniors Center Tuesday to celebrate the first anniversary of health reform… Continue Reading
Members Ask Obama Administration to help Safeguard American Workers in Colombia Trade Agreement
03.17.11 Six Democratic members of the House, led by U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA) today issued a detailed memo to the Obama Administration outlining several necessary conditions before the President submits the Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to the House for consideration. In an accompanying letter to President Obama, the Members write, "[a]t a time of economic uncertainty, with millions of families across our country struggling to support themselves, it is ou… Continue Reading
More Accountability Is Necessary to Protect Taxpayer Investment in For-Profit Colleges, Witnesses Tell Education Committee
03.17.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The significant federal funds going to for-profit colleges demands accountability to protect the taxpayer investment, witnesses told the Education and the Workforce Committee this morning.“It is completely fair to expect institutions profiting from federal taxpayer money to have a standard to meet in terms of what their schools need to provide for their students,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the committee. “In this economy, graduating from a career … Continue Reading
Miller Statement on New ‘Two Percent’ Announcement From Department of Education
03.16.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, today issued the following statement after U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced his department will not issue any further policies that allow about 20 percent of students with disabilities to be counted as proficient when they are not and to be held to a lower standard of achievement than their peers, known as the “2 percent rule.”“We know that when students are held to h… Continue Reading
Miller’s Statement on President Obama’s Call to Fix Education Law
03.14.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee and a key member of the group leading the charge in the U.S. Congress to rewrite the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, released the following statement after President Obama today called for the Congress to rewrite the law this session of Congress. “The President made a great case today for why we need to fix our education law in this country. The status quo is failing our st… Continue Reading
Program Integrity and Taxpayer Investments Are Protected in New Higher Education Regulations, Witnesses Tell House Panel
03.11.11 WASHINGTON, D.C. -The Department of Education’s regulations regarding how colleges and universities determine the amount of federal aid for which a student is eligible ensure accountability and program integrity, as well as protect the taxpayers’ investment in federal student aid, witnesses told the Subcommittee on Higher Education And Workforce Training today. “In my view, these regulations are greatly needed to strengthen the accountability and review of institutions of higher education that p… Continue Reading