Press Releases
Chairman Miller Congratulates Jordan Barab Being Named as Acting Head of OSHA
04.08.09 WASHINGTON - U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis today named House Education and Labor Committee senior policy advisor Jordan Barab as deputy assistant secretary for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Barab will also serve as acting assistant secretary for OSHA beginning Monday. Barab has worked for the committee for more than two years specializing in worker health and safety issues. “I congratulate Jordan for being named as the acting head of OSHA. Jordan will bring a tremendous a… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Announces Release of Emergency Funding for Head Start
04.02.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The nation’s premiere early childhood programs for low-income children will begin receiving funding provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Department of Health and Human Services announced today. The plan invests $2.2 billion in Head Start and Early Head Start to expand the services for over 70,000 additional children. “I applaud the Obama administration for getting funds out quickly to critical early education programs. Starting today, the children, fa… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller: House Budget a New Beginning for America’s Children
04.02.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today applauded the House for passing the Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2010, which makes investments in education a key priority. The House approved the budget by a vote of 233 to 196. Among other things, the resolution includes instructions for Miller’s committee to enact reforms that produce $1 billion in savings for taxpayers over the next five years. Miller has said the committee… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Hails the Release of Emergency Funding to Local School Districts
04.01.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Emergency relief funding provided under President Obama’s economic recovery plan will be released to school districts across the country today. The U.S. Department of Education announced that they will release the first installment of funds that will help schools save teaching jobs and maintain education programs for low-income students and students with disabilities. School districts will receive the second installment of the funds, provided under Title I and IDEA formulas, t… Continue Reading
House Sends Landmark National Service Bill to President Obama
03.31.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - With Americans facing unprecedented challenges in their communities, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed legislation that will launch a new era of national service and volunteerism to help the nation emerge stronger from the economic crisis. The Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act was approved by an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 275 to 149.The legislation makes good on President Obama’s call for Americans to do their part to help the nation’s economy recover by ma… Continue Reading
Green Jobs Key to Long-Term Economic Growth, Witnesses Tell House Labor Panel
03.31.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Investing in the green economy and green jobs will not only improve the environment and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but will also help spur long-term economic growth, witnesses told the Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee. “Green industry, green technology and green jobs are our future, and will play a key role in our economic recovery,” said U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the subcommittee. “I am confident that if w… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Promotes Jody Calemine to General Counsel for House Education and Labor Committee
03.26.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today announced that Jody Calemine, a longtime committee aide and currently its Deputy Director of Labor Policy, will be promoted to General Counsel for labor issues. He replaces Brian Kennedy, who recently was nominated to be Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Labor. Calemine will be one of two General Counsels for the committee;… Continue Reading
Economic Crisis is Having Catastrophic Effects on the Arts and Music, Witnesses Tell House Panel
03.26.09 WASHINGTON, DC - Communities across the country are suffering as arts and music organizations struggle with declining budgets, job losses and other effects of the economic crisis, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today. The hearing is the first in a series the Committee will hold this spring as Congress renews its focus on how the economy is impacting the arts and music and the role these sectors play in local communities, schools, and the broader economy. “Arts and music … Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Statement on Budget and Student Loan Reform
03.26.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement after the House Budget Committee considered and passed the House Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2010. Among other things, the resolution includes instructions for the House Education and Labor Committee to enact reforms that produce $1 billion in savings for taxpayers over the next five years. Miller today announced the committee intends to use these instr… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Statement on Senate Passage of Legislation to Expand National Service
03.26.09 WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and chief House co-sponsor of the legislation, issued the following statement today after the Senate passed H.R. 1388, the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, national service legislation, by a vote of 78 to 20. Last week the House approved similar legislation with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 321 to 105. “Today’s Senate vote comes at a time when Americans are facing unprecedented… Continue Reading
Bush Labor Department Failed to Properly Investigate Wage Theft, GAO Tells House Panel
03.25.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The government agency responsible for investigating complaints of minimum wage, overtime and child labor violations left workers vulnerable to unscrupulous employers, the U.S. Government Accountability Office told the House Education and Labor Committee today. The GAO’s conclusions were based on the results of an undercover investigation into the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor from July 2008 to March 2009. “Those most vulnerable to wage theft are likely… Continue Reading
Last Minute Bush Regulation Could Put Americans’ Retirement Security at Risk, Witnesses tell House Pension Panel
03.24.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - A last minute Bush administration regulation could reduce Americans’ retirement security by allowing firms to give conflicted financial advice to workers who participate in their 401(k) plans, witnesses told the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee today. The proposal, finalized on Jan. 20, 2009, would largely remove the prohibition of pension plan investment advisors in giving self-interested financial advice to their… Continue Reading
Miller, Andrews, Harkin Statement Opposing “Alternative” to Employee Free Choice Act
03.22.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA) and Rob Andrews (D-NJ) and U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) today said that a proposal unveiled by three companies this weekend as an alternative to the Employee Free Choice Act would further undermine workers' rights on the job. Miller, Andrews and Harkin, leaders in the House and Senate on the Employee Free Choice Act, issued the following statement opposing this approach: “This proposal is unacceptable. It was written by CEOs for CEOs. It is not a… Continue Reading
California Delegation to Schwarzenegger: Take Every Step Possible to Prevent Teacher Layoffs
03.19.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Members of California’s Democratic Congressional Delegation today urged Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and state education officials to release emergency funding provided to school districts under President Obama’s economic recovery plan as soon as the state receives it. Without these funds, the lawmakers warned in a letter, thousands of teachers throughout California could lose their jobs in coming weeks. “Thousands of California teachers will be laid off in coming weeks with… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Congratulates Gabriella Gomez on Department of Education Post
03.19.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today praised the nomination of Gabriella Gomez, a senior education policy advisor for the committee, as Assistant Secretary for Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the Department of Education. “I am thrilled that President Obama has nominated Gaby to be Assistant Education Secretary. Over the past three years, she has helped Congress enact some of the most significant changes to higher e… Continue Reading
House Passes Bill to Launch a New Era of National Service and Volunteerism
03.18.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed a bill to dramatically expand national service opportunities and help Americans play a role in the economic recovery. The bill, the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act, passed the House with a vote of 321 to 105. This is the most significant expansion of national service since President John F. Kennedy issued a call to serve more than 50 years ago. Last month, President Obama called for Co… Continue Reading
Improving Access to Quality Early Childhood Programs will Benefit all Americans, Witnesses tell House Education Committee
03.17.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - With millions of families losing jobs and becoming more vulnerable in today’s economy, it’s more critical than ever to expand access to high quality, comprehensive early childhood programs for the nation’s youngest children, witnesses told members of House Education and Labor Committee today. For many families, child care is the second highest monthly expense after housing. “As President Obama made clear in his first major education speech, if we only start focusing on kids at… Continue Reading
Woolsey Statement on Overturning Last-Minute Bush Delays on Protecting Workers from Severe Lung Disease
03.17.09 WASHINGTON, D.C - U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement on the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s announcement that they will withdraw a Bush era procedural roadblock to that slowed protections for workers who handle the dangerous food flavoring diacetyl. The notice that will be published today withdraws a last-minute Bush action that would have significantly … Continue Reading
White House Strongly Supports Landmark Service Bill Moving Through House
03.17.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Obama administration today commended legislation the House will consider tomorrow that will provide the most significant expansion of service and volunteer opportunities for Americans in over fifty years. In a Statement of Administration Policy issued this evening, the White House vowed to work with Congress to enact the Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act as quickly as possible. “Service is a fundamental American value, in every neighborhood and… Continue Reading
More Needs to Be Done to Guarantee Quality Education to At-Risk Youth, Witnesses Tell House Subcommittees
03.12.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - More needs to be done to guarantee that at-risk youth educated outside of traditional schools receive a quality education, witnesses told members of House Education and Judiciary subcommittees today. These alternative education settings include certain foster care placements, juvenile justice facilities, alternative education programs and other environments. “We can’t afford for any of our children or at-risk youth to fall through the cracks. Addressing the educational needs o… Continue Reading