Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Higher Education
Chairman Miller Statement on Senate Passage of Companion Health Reform and Student Loan Reform Bill
03.25.10 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and the House co-author of health insurance and student loan reforms, congratulated the Senate on passing an additional measure that improves the new health reform law and makes college dramatically more affordable. The House first passed this package on Sunday. Early this morning, the Senate made small technical changes to the bill. The House will vote later today to send this bill t… Continue Reading
Groundbreaking Health Insurance and Student Loan Reforms Heading to President Obama
03.25.10 Today, the House approved legislation that makes key improvements to the historic health reform law, and makes the single largest investment in college aid ever, at no additional cost to taxpayers. The package will now go to President Obama’s desk for his signature. The legislation makes health care even more affordable for the middle class, lowers prescription drug costs for seniors by closing the “donut hole” over time, reduces the deficit and strips out special deals that favored one state ov… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Statement on President Obama Signing Health Reform into Law
03.23.10 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and the House co-author of both health insurance and student loan reforms, released the following statement after President Obama signed the health insurance reform bill into law. This week, the Senate will vote on a second measure that will make critical corrections and improvements to what the President signed and also make the single largest investment in federal student aid ever,… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Calls Out Sallie Mae for Scare Tactics
03.22.10 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education Committee and the author of student loan reforms that would end wasteful taxpayer subsidies for banks and instead invest that money directly in students, called out Sallie Mae for continuing to spread misinformation in an effort to kill the bill in the Senate. The House passed the legislation last night along with historic health insurance reforms; the Senate is expected to vote on the legislation this w… Continue Reading
Historic Health Reform Approved
03.21.10 For the first time in America’s history, all Americans will have access to quality, affordable health care under a final package of health insurance reforms passed by the U.S. House of Representatives today. The legislation will protect Americans from the worst insurance industry practices, offer the uninsured and small businesses the opportunity to obtain affordable health care plans, cover 32 million uninsured Americans, all while reducing the deficit by $143 billion over the next decade and m… Continue Reading
House Passes Largest Investment in College Aid in U.S. History
03.21.10 Today the U.S. House of Representatives approved a landmark measure to make college more affordable for millions of Americans, and create jobs that stay in the U.S., at no cost to taxpayers. The House passed the bill, the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, by a vote of 220 to 211. The legislation makes the single largest investment in federal student aid in U.S. history, and delivers on many of President Obama’s key education initiatives. It now goes to the U.S. Senate … Continue Reading
Chairman Miller's Floor Remarks on Health Care and Student Loan Reform
03.21.10 "Members of Congress have a clear choice. We can side with the American people by making health insurance and college more affordable and accessible - while creating millions of jobs and reducing the deficit. Or, we can side with the insurance companies and the banks. That’s it. That’s the choice. I’m siding with the American people." - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor CommitteeBelow is a copy of U.S. Rep. George Miller’s (D-CA) remarks, as prepared for … Continue Reading
Miller: Health Care Bill Will Include Student Loan Reform and Deficit Reduction Legislation
03.18.10 WASHINGTON, D.C. - A landmark measure to make college more affordable and create jobs that stay in the U.S. at no cost to taxpayers will be included in the historic health care legislation scheduled for an upcoming vote in Congress, U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, announced today. The measure represents the single largest investment in federal student aid in history, and includes many of President Obama’s key education initiatives. “This … Continue Reading
Chairman Miller: Student Loan Reform Boosts Support for Health Reform Bill
03.11.10 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Including student loan reforms in a reconciliation package will help pass health insurance reform in Congress because it is a once-in-a generation opportunity to make historic investments in college students and families, instead of banks - and at no cost to taxpayers, said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House education committee, at a press conference on Capitol Hill today. Miller was joined by U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chair of the Senate educa… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Statement from Press Conference on Urgent Need for Student Loan Reform
03.11.10 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, from his press conference on the urgent need to include student loan reform as part of the reconciliation.Senate Democrats have a very simple choice to make in the next few weeks. This choice speaks to the true character of our country and of our Congress. It speaks to what America’s priorities will be for the next generation. It speaks to fiscal responsibilit… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Statement on Reports of Senators Leaning Toward Including Student Loan Reform in Reconciliation
03.11.10 WASHINGTON, D.C. - News reports this afternoon indicate that Senate leaders are leaning toward including student loan reforms along with health insurance reform as part of one reconciliation package - a move that would allow Congress to take an up or down vote on legislation that would invest tens of billions of dollars in students instead of banks, without costing taxpayers a dime. U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House education committee and the author of the student loan r… Continue Reading
Sec. Duncan Urges Swift Bipartisan Action to Rewrite Federal Education Laws
03.03.10 WASHINGTON, D.C. - At a hearing on Capitol Hill today, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan called on Congress to take several steps to build a lasting economic recovery by helping all students get a world-class education. In his second appearance before the House Education and Labor Committee to discuss the Obama administration’s education agenda, Duncan specifically urged lawmakers to take quick action on a bipartisan rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act - currently known as N… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Statement on Recovery Act Anniversary
02.17.10 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and a key architect of the education pieces of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, issued the following statement today on the law's one-year anniversary: "One year ago, our nation was headed toward an economic collapse, shedding an average of 600,000 jobs a month. State and local budget cutbacks were putting teachers' jobs - and our students' education - in peril. Our economy was i… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller: Appropriations Bill Makes Needed Investments in Students, Workers and Economy
12.10.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today the House passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes critical investments in education, worker training, job creation, and other priorities that will help the U.S. economy move toward recovery. U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, released the following statement:“This legislation wisely targets our resources in the workers and families who need the most help weathering this economy. “It makes key inves… Continue Reading
Miller: Education Key to Strategy for Economic Recovery
12.09.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today praised new recommendations released by the Business Roundtable to create a well-educated and trained workforce as part of efforts to strengthen the nation’s economic recovery and competitiveness. Among other things, the recommendations encourage companies to partner with colleges, school districts and community colleges to better align student learning with employers’ needs. “The B… Continue Reading
Miller and Harkin: Sallie Mae Plan Saves at Least $8 Billion Less for Students than President’s Proposal
12.03.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA) and U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chairmen of the House and Senate Education Committees, today said that a modified student loan proposal Sallie Mae is pushing would slash more than $8 billion off of student aid to give lenders a bonus. “You can dress this up 100 different ways and put a Santa Hat on it, but this is still the same budget gimmick lenders have been pushing for months to line their own pockets with billions of dollars that should… Continue Reading
Miller, Hinojosa Join Secretary Duncan in Urging Colleges to Ensure Reliable Federal Student Loan Access
11.18.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Reps. George Miller (D-CA) and Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX) today joined U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan in urging college campuses to take prudent action to ensure that their students continue to have access to stable, low-cost federal college loans, regardless of what happens in the economy. Their letter to college presidents echoes a letter Duncan sent to institutions last month. Specifically, the lawmakers urged the presidents to prepare to make the Direct Loan prog… 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
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
Changes to Bankruptcy Laws Needed to Protect Student Borrowers, Says Chairman Miller
09.23.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today praised the House Judiciary Committee for holding a hearing to examine the need to allow Americans to discharge their private student loans in bankruptcy. Bankruptcy legislation enacted by President Bush in 2005 severely limits individuals in bankruptcy from discharging the college loans they borrow from for-profit lenders. Miller, the author of a 2008 law that provided new consumer … Continue Reading