Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Higher Education
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
Legislation to Make Landmark Investments in College Affordability Clears House
09.17.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Legislation that will make college dramatically more affordable for millions of Americans, at no new cost to taxpayers, overwhelming passed the U.S. House of Representatives today. The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (H.R. 3221), which was approved by a bipartisan vote of 253 to 171, will move the U.S. closer to reaching President Obama’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020. It will generate almost $90 billion in savings ov… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Floor Statement on Historic Student Aid Bill
09.17.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, during House consideration of H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009.***I rise today in support of H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act, a bill that will be transformative for our children, our economy, and our future.Like President Obama’s other two pillars for economic growth - health reform and energy -this bill… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Statement at Press Conference on Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009
09.15.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, for a press conference on H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009.***Good afternoon. I’d like to thank U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Reps. Tom Petri, Tim Bishop, Ruben Hinojosa, and all our colleagues for joining us today.I’d especially like to thank all the students for coming, and Jelisa Difon who will be sharing her story wi… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Praises Biden College Affordability Speech
09.09.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement after Vice President Joe Biden delivered a speech on college affordability and urged Congress to pass the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009. The legislation passed the House Education and Labor Committee in July with bipartisan support and is expected to be considered by the House of Representatives in September. The legislation will generate almost … Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Statement on the Passing of Eunice Kennedy Shriver
08.11.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today released the following statement on the death of Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Shriver founded the Special Olympics and was a lifelong advocate for people with intellectual disabilities.“My thoughts and prayers are with Senator Ted Kennedy, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, and the entire Kennedy family on this difficult day. Today, we mourn the loss of a leader who inspired and changed the lives of m… Continue Reading
Chairman Miller Praises Obama Administration and State of California for Ensuring Equal Access to GI Bill Benefits
08.04.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today the Department of Veterans Affairs and the state of California announced an agreement about how tuition and fees at the state’s public colleges and universities are determined that will ensure that veterans who attend any college in California are able to receive the full amount of financial aid they are eligible for under the new GI Bill - and that veterans in other states receive. The agreement was reached after the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee passed a sim… Continue Reading
Republicans Continue to Mislead Public on Historic Student Aid Bill
07.29.09 WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today House Republicans once again proved that they’re more committed to finding cheap budgetary tricks that will help them score political points than having a meaningful, honest debate about legislation that will help students and parents pay for college. For the second time in two days, Republicans asked the Congressional Budget Office to manipulate an analysis of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (H.R. 3221), a bill that will invest almost $90 billion in additi… Continue Reading