Press Releases
Record Fine against BP for On-Going Negligence Raises Serious Concerns, Chairs Miller and Woolsey Say
10.30.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, today released a statement on the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s announcement of a record $87 million proposed fine against BP Products North America for its failure to correct serious health and safety standards at the company’s Texas City, Texas refinery - the location of a 2005 explosion … Continue Reading
Chairman Miller: Recovery Act Reporting Shows Us the Jobs
10.30.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and a key architect of Recovery Act investments intended to help save teaching jobs, today issued the following statement after the White House released reports showing the Recovery Act is on track to creating and saving 3.5 million jobs by next fall.“Today’s report answers every critic out there asking ‘where are the jobs?’ While this data only gives a partial picture of the hundreds of th… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Statement on 3rd Quarter Rise in GDP
10.29.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee released the following statement today after the announcement that GDP rose 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2009."Today's news is another important indicator that the Recovery Act is beginning to repair our economy and get our nation back on its feet. While it will take time for all these investments to kick in, we know that the Recovery Act has already helped to stave off hundreds of thous… Continue Reading
Historic Bill to Provide Quality, Affordable Health Care for All Americans Heading to House Floor
10.29.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - For the first time in U.S. history, all Americans would have access to quality, affordable health care under updated health insurance reform legislation unveiled by House Democrats today. The House is expected to debate and vote on the legislation next week.The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), which blends and updates the three versions of previous bills passed by the House committees of jurisdiction in July, embodies President Obama’s key goals for health r… Continue Reading
Greater Oversight of State Worker Health and Safety Programs Needed, Witnesses tell House Labor Panel
10.29.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Stronger federal oversight of state-run health and safety programs is needed to ensure that states provide workers with basic on-the-job protections, witnesses told the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee. Serious questions were raised after a federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration review of Nevada OSHA found significant gaps in the agency’s protections. “Basic oversight of state plans is not only important in Nevada, but it is vital to the 57 million Ameri… Continue Reading
Miller: New Report Shows Too Many States Weakening Education Standards
10.29.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Many states have lowered the bar on what their students are expected to learn -- meaning that fewer children are being held to expectations that will adequately prepare them for a competitive economy, according to a new report released today. The study, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics, placed all state academic standards for proficiency in reading and math scores on a common scale to compare results across states and compare with/to proficiency standa… Continue Reading
Chairmen Rahall and Miller Deliver for Indian Country in House Health Insurance Reform Bill
10.23.09 Washington, D.C. - House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) and House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) today announced that they successfully secured provisions in the House version of the health insurance reform package that would provide for reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) - a long-sought priority for the two Chairmen.“The job of reforming the Nation’s health care system and providing access to quality care fo… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Applauds Unanimous Senate Approval of Joe Main as Federal Mine Safety Chief
10.22.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, applauded yesterday’s unanimous U.S. Senate confirmation of Joe Main as the next Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health. “I congratulate Joe Main’s unanimous Senate confirmation as the next head of the Mine Safety and Health Administration. Main will be a tireless advocate for the health and safety of America’s miners and bring a needed jumpstart to an agency that suffer… Continue Reading
New Report Highlights Need to Expand Families’ Access to Reliable Federal College Aid
10.20.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Students and families are increasingly relying on Pell Grant scholarships and other forms of federal student aid to help pay for college, a new report released today by the College Board shows. While college tuition prices continued to increase at rates consistent with years past, students had greater access to reliable low-cost federal loans and grant aid. The report also shows that private student loan borrowing decreased by 50 percent from one year earlier, in part due to t… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Administration Estimates on Education Jobs
10.20.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and a chief architect of the education investments included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, issued the following statement after the White House released preliminary estimates yesterday showing that recovery funding has already created or saved at least 250,000 education jobs across the country.“While this was just the first step in our greater efforts to spur job growth and … Continue Reading
Democratic Lawmakers Respond to Institute of Medicine Recommendations for School Meal Programs
10.20.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, and U.S. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), chair of the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities today issued the following statement after the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (IOM) released its recommendations to revise the standards and requirements for the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. The IOM recommends increasing the variety of fruits, ve… Continue Reading
House Committee Announces Hearing on Federal Review of Nevada Health and Safety Program
10.20.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - In light of a new government report released today highlighting dangerous gaps in health and safety protections for workers in Nevada, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today announced that the committee will hold a hearing on Thursday, October 29 to examine the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s critical review of Nevada’s workplace health and safety program. “This report confirms that there are serious … Continue Reading
Miller and Woolsey Applaud OSHA Action to Protect Workers from Dust Explosions at Industrial Work Sites
10.20.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, today applauded the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s issuance of an advance notice of rulemaking to prevent combustible dust explosions like the one that occurred at the Imperial Sugar refinery in February 2008 that killed 14 workers and injured dozens.“OSHA’s announcement is a giant step forward … Continue Reading
Democratic Lawmakers Respond to NAEP Math Report
10.14.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ), issued the following statement after the National Assessment Governing Board released its report on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), which measures the performance of fourth and eighth grade students in math. The report, “The Nation’s Report Card: Mathematics 2009,” studies student achievement in mathematics at the state and national lev… Continue Reading
Waxman, Rangel, Miller Statement on Senate Finance Vote to Pass Health Insurance Reform
10.13.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), and George Miller (D-CA), the chairmen of the three committees with jurisdiction over health policy in the U.S. House of Representatives, today issued the following statement after the Senate Finance Committee approved its version of health insurance reform legislation. The House is currently working to combine the three versions of the bills approved by their committees in July. “This marks an historic day in our de… Continue Reading
House Approves Legislation to Improve Access to Healthy and Nutritious School Meals
10.07.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation that will ensure more children have year-round access to healthy and nutritious meals at school, in child care settings, and during the summer months, at no new cost to taxpayers, as part of the 2010 Agriculture Appropriations Bill Conference Agreement. The legislation, which passed with a bipartisan vote of 263-162, temporarily extends expiring provisions of the law governing child nutrition provisions and makes inve… Continue Reading
Bicameral Legislation Will Protect Older Workers From Discrimination; Restore Civil Rights
10.06.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, three Chairmen - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced landmark legislation that restores vital civil rights protections for older workers in the face of the Supreme Court’s decision in Gross v. FBL Financial. In Gross, the Supreme Court … Continue Reading
Record Low Youth Employment Need to Be Addressed, Witnesses Tell Congress
10.01.09 WASHINGTON - While the current economic crisis has driven youth unemployment to historic highs, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today that falling youth employment is part of a much longer trend that needs to be addressed. “The recession has only made a bad situation worse for younger workers. Even in periods of economic stability, fewer young people do not make the transition to the workforce. They face challenges completing high school and obtaining the skills they need… Continue Reading
All Children Deserve Great Teachers, Witnesses Tell House Education Committee
09.30.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Students at schools with the highest concentration of poor and minority students do not have equal access to effective teachers as their peers in more affluent school districts, education experts, including teachers, told the House Education and Labor Committee today. Teachers are the most important factor in determining the success of students, yet low-income and minority students are more likely to be taught by less experienced, less qualified teachers than their peers in we… Continue Reading
Waxman, Rangel, Miller Reinforce that Health Reform Efforts Will Strengthen Health Care for Veterans
09.24.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Earlier this week, U.S. Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), and George Miller (D-CA), the Chairmen of the three Committees with jurisdiction over health policy in the House, sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Veterans Committee to reinforce their commitment to protecting veterans’ current health plans and expanding access to quality, affordable health care options for their dependents as health insurance reform efforts move forwar… Continue Reading