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Miller Statement on Today’s Senate Student Loan Vote
07.10.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), released the following statement today as the Senate attempted to move legislation that would reverse the July 1 doubling of interest rates on student loans. "I applaud Senators Reid and Harkin for standing up again today for the 7.2 million students who saw their interest rates double last week. Last month, a majority of the Senate voted in support of a responsible solution that puts students first, only to have it blocked by a Republican minori… Continue Reading
Miller: Students Need Relief Now, Congress Must Act Today to Reverse Rate Increase
07.09.13 Rep. George Miller (D-CA) Opening Statement at Committee Hearing on Improving Higher Education through Innovation WASHINGTON, DC -- Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, for the committee hearing on improving higher education through innovation. *** Good morning, Chairman Kline. We meet today to examine ways to improve higher education. We will look at innovations from around the country… Continue Reading
With July 1 Doubling of Interest Rates, GOP Once Again Blocks Efforts by Democrats to Keep Federal Loan Interest Rates Affordable
07.09.13 WASHINGTON - While Congress' immediate job today is to undo higher borrowing costs for more than 7.2 million college students, House Republicans are content to leave students saddled with the extra debt. "Today we offered our Republican colleagues a chance to immediately move forward on a bill that would keep rates low for one more year. Not a single one chose to take action," said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member on the committee. "House Republicans may be content to… Continue Reading
GOP Student Loan Bill Harmful to Students, Totally Irresponsible
07.08.13 Washington, DC - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement today as congressional Republicans' refuse to act to reverse the doubling of student loan interest rates. Interest rates on need-based student loans doubled last week from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent due to Republican obstruction. This rate increase will cost more than 7.2 million students an additional $1,000 per loan. "Once again, House … Continue Reading
Miller Announces Next Steps on Student Loan Interest Rates
07.02.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, announced today that he is collecting signatures to force committee action on legislation (H.R. 2574) to reverse yesterday's doubling of student loan interest rates. Today's announcement comes after Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) ignored a request from committee Democrats to take immediate action on the Keeping Student Loans Affordable Act of 2013, legislation introduced by Mil… Continue Reading
House Education Committee Democrats Aim to Force a Vote to Prevent Doubling of Student Loan Rates
06.28.13 WASHINGTON - Democrats on the House Education and the Workforce Committee today began a procedural move to force the committee to take up recently introduced legislation to ensure another year of debt relief for college students, keeping student loan interest rates for 7 million people at 3.4 percent. The legislation (H.R. 2574), introduced by Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the committee, is identical to a bill introduced by Senate Democrats yesterday that locks in interes… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on New Senate Proposal to Prevent Student Loan Rates from Doubling
06.27.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), released the following statement today after Senate Democrats announced a new plan to keep student loan interest rates from doubling on July 1. "I applaud Senator Harkin's continued efforts to keep interest rates from doubling on July 1 and to keep a focus on students in that process," said Rep. Miller. "The new Senate proposal will provide $4 billion in student debt relief for the neediest students next year. This stands in stark contrast t… Continue Reading
Sen. Franken, Rep. George Miller Announce Introduction of Bill to Train Workers for Open, High-Skills Jobs
06.27.13 WASHINGTON, D.C.-Today, U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) announced the introduction of legislation to close the skills gap-where jobs go unfilled because businesses can't find workers with the right skills-by fostering partnerships between community and technical colleges and businesses to train students to fill high-demand jobs in Minnesota and across the country. Rep. Miller is introducing the legislation in the House today, and Sen. Franken plans to introd… Continue Reading
Student Loan Solution that Makes Student Debt Worse No Solution At All, Says Rep. George Miller
06.26.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement on the latest developments on student loans. "I'm disappointed that Republicans are blocking an agreement on student loans by insisting that students take on even more debt to pay down the Bush deficit. Their obstruction is unacceptable. A solution that makes the long-term problem of student debt worse, or fails to cap potentially high inter… Continue Reading
Waters and Miller Applaud CFPB’s Proposed Rule to Oversee Nonbank Student Loan Servicers
06.26.13 WASHINGTON- Two senior Democratic lawmakers from the House- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Ranking Member on the Financial Services Committee, and Congressman George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic Member on the Education and the Workforce Committee, today released a joint letter to Director Richard Cordray commending the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for its proposed rule to subject certain nonbank education loan servicers to its supervisory authority. The letter… Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Supreme Court Decision in Affirmative Action Case
06.24.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, today released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court delivered the decision in Fisher v. University of Texas-Austin, a case challenging the use of race as one factor in admissions policies in higher education. The Court preserved the principle that universities may consider racial and ethnic diversity as one factor among many in a carefully crafted admissions p… Continue Reading
TODAY: Leader Pelosi & House Dems Join Students to Urge a Stop to Doubling of Loan Rates
06.20.13 WASHINGTON - College students will join House education leaders Thursday urging Congress to stop the doubling of interest rates on student loans and to speak about how increasing debt burden will harm their futures. If Congress fails to act, approximately 7 million student loan borrowers will see a doubling of their interest rates on July 1st. House Republicans pushed through a bill that would add more debt onto students and families, even more than if rates were allowed to double. Watch live a… Continue Reading
New Survey Shows Majority of Americans want Congress to Keep Student Loan Interest Rates at 3.4 Percent or Lower
06.18.13 WASHINGTON - 83 percent of Americans want Congress to keep interest rates on student loans at 3.4 percent or lower according to the results of a new poll released today. “The survey responses confirm what House Democrats have known for some time: Congress needs to keep interest rates low and a not add more debt onto students and families,” said Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee. “With just days to act before interest rates doub… Continue Reading
Congress Must Ensure Accreditation Systems Provide Students with a High Quality Education
06.13.13 WASHINGTON - As the committee looks to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, Congress must ensure that accreditation systems support high-quality education programs worthy of student and taxpayer investment, witnesses told the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training today. "The Higher Education Act recognizes the critical role that these actors play in providing a framework for shared responsibility and for ensuring that the 'gate' to student financial aid programs opens o… Continue Reading
House Dems Move to Force Vote on Student Loan Interest Rate Relief
06.13.13 WASHINGTON, DC — With Congress facing just fewer than 10 legislative days to act before a looming increase on student loan interest rates hits more than 7 million students and families, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.) joined his Democratic colleagues today, led by U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), in an effort to force a vote in the House to provide student debt relief to millions of student loan borrowers. “Across the country today, rapidly-accumulating student loan debt threatens not just … Continue Reading
Miller Applauds Gainful Employment Rule-making Process Moving Forward
06.11.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, today issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education announced a new negotiated rule-making process specifically for gainful employment. "I applaud the administration for moving forward to define minimum standards that protect students and taxpayers from the most predatory academic programs that over-promise, over-charge and under-deliver. With student loan … Continue Reading
Miller Statement on Upcoming Senate Student Loan Vote
06.06.13 WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released the following statement today as the Senate prepares to vote on legislation to stop interest rates on student loans from doubling on July 1. "In addressing student loan interest rates, any 'solution' should at the very least do no harm. A proposal that increases the debt load of students and families is no solution at all. It's as simple as that. Unfortunately, the cur… Continue Reading
Rep. George Miller Statement on President Obama’s Speech on Student Loans
05.31.13 WASHINGTON - Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), the senior Democratic member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, issued the following statement today after President Obama’s speech on urging Congress to come together in order to prevent the doubling of student loan interest rates for 7 million borrowers on July 1. “I applaud President Obama for continuing to focus on making college more affordable and accessible for all Americans. At a time of rising college costs, saddling student… Continue Reading
Republicans Pass Legislation to Make College More Expensive for Students and Families
05.16.13 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Republicans on the House Education and the Workforce committee pushed through legislation today to make college more expensive for students and families, forcing them into loans with skyrocketing interest rates that fluctuate year by year, further compounding the student debt crisis. The legislation (H.R. 1911) would charge millions of students and families nearly $4 billion over the next decade in additional interest charges relative to current law. “Our students and fami… Continue Reading
GOP Student Loan Bill Would Make College More Expensive, a New Independent Nonpartisan Analysis Shows
05.15.13 New data from Congressional Research Services shows students and families will pay higher interest costs than today WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Education and the Workforce Committee Democrats released new data from the independent, nonpartisan Congressional Research Service (CRS) that shows that the House Republican student loan proposal (H.R. 1911) will increase the cost of students and families to pay for college. The Republican bill is scheduled for a committee vote tomorrow. "It's clear tha… Continue Reading