Miller, Geo Rep CA

retiring 2014, worrying

slug COS, TT

not to be confused w. Gary=5/15<div class="entry-content" style="margin: 5px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; line-height: 24px;"><div itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article" itemref="comments" style="margin: 5px 0px;"><div itemprop="articleBody" style="margin: 5px 0px;">n an interview with OpenSecrets Blog, Matheson described his current role as “building client relationships and offering strategic advice” during the cooling-off period when he can’t directly lobby Congress (that’s <a href="http://ethics.house.gov/sites/ethics.house.gov/files/Member%20post%20employment%20pink%20sheet_0.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">one year</a> for former House members, <a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2012-title18/html/USCODE-2012-title18-partI-chap11-sec207.htm" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">two years</a> for former senators) — while also noting that he “can still interact with executive branch agencies.”Asked about the fact that so many former lawmakers are now at firms seeking to influence Congress on behalf of paying clients, Matheson defended the practice. Lobbying is “a very regulated and transparent industry,” Matheson said. “[F]ormer members have a perspective to bring to the table in terms of navigating the public policy process.” He added that the cooling-off period is appropriate both “substantively and for the optics.” (For a rundown of former members whose cooling-off periods ended at the start of the 114th Congress, see <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/01/coming-out-of-the-cool-as-congress-convenes-former-colleagues-will-soon-be-calling-from-k-street/?utm_source=CRP+Mail+List&utm_campaign=65356c770e-Newsletter_1_8_15&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9df8578d78-65356c770e-210739945" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">our project with the Sunlight Foundation</a>.)One former House member snared a gig as the head of something called the Better Medicare Alliance — not a lobbying firm, but a group that is <a href="http://www.publicintegrity.org/2015/04/27/17240/former-rep-allyson-schwartzs-new-group-better-medicare-alliance-not-what-it-appears" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">all about influencing Capitol HIll</a>. <a href="http://bettermedicarealliance.org/about" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Allyson Schwartz</a>, who made a bid last year to be governor of Pennsylvania but lost in the Democratic primary, became president and CEO of the group, which was formed by health insurance companies to try to stave off scheduled cuts to the Medicare Advantage program.<a href="http://www.wileyrein.com/professionals.cfm?sp=bio&id=550" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Robert L. Walker</a>, a former chief counsel and staff director on both the House and Senate Ethics Committees and currently of counsel at Wiley Rein, is not surprised by the post-congressional career path chosen by many of these former members. “It used to happen, it does happen, and will continue to happen,” Walker told the Blog. He added that each shift should occur “in an appropriately transparent and ethical way…that’s always been the challenge.”Others who are recovering from their service in the House and Senate are making use of their subject matter expertise in ways that don’t appear to involve lobbying or lobbying-ish activities. Former House Education and Labor Committee Chairman<a href="http://news.cengage.com/corporate/former-u-s-representative-george-miller-joins-cengage-learning-as-senior-education-advisor/" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">George Miller</a> (D-Calif.), for example, is now a senior education advisor at <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=F46434" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Cengage Learning</a>, a provider of online educational services; former Ways and Means Committee Chairman <a href="http://www.pwc.com/us/en/press-releases/2015/dave-camp-joins-pwc-us.jhtml" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Dave Camp</a> (R-Mich.) is using his familiarity with the tax system as a senior policy advisor at <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/firmsum.php?id=D000000124" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">PricewaterhouseCoopers</a>. Both Miller and Camp retired from Congress, but defeat is no obstacle to big paychecks in the private sector, as proven by onetime House Majority Leader <a href="http://www.moelis.com/our-firm/SitePages/senior-leadership.aspx#EricCantor" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Eric Cantor</a> (R-Va.), whose loss in Virginia’s GOP primary was one of the most unexpected outcomes of 2014. Cantor is now a vice chairman and managing director at investment banking firm<a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000044240" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Moelis & Co</a>.An eclectic mix of former lawmakers landed at think tanks or nonprofits. Sen. <a href="http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/pr022715.htm" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Tom Coburn</a> (R-Okla.), a former physician, is at the conservative-leaning Manhattan Institute, and Rep. <a href="http://www.wishuponahero.org/#!board/c13zj" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Jon Runyan</a> (R-N.J.), who played 14 seasons in the NFL, became chairman of the board at the Wish Upon a Hero Foundation; neither Coburn nor Runyan ran for re-election. A West Virginia duo consisting of former Rep. <a href="https://www.worldaffairsdc.org/OurBoardMember.aspx" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Nick Rahall</a> (D) and Sen. <a href="http://www.cfr.org/experts/asia-and-pacific-japan-cybersecurity/john-d-rockefeller-iv/b11886" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Jay Rockefeller</a> (D) are focusing on more global issues: Rahall, who lost his seat in November after serving 19 terms, is on the board of directors of the World Affairs Council, while Rockefeller, who retired, is at the Council on Foreign Relations as a distinguished fellow.And then, of course, there are former Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and John Kerry, who were awarded plum public sector positions. Baucus, of Montana, has been U.S. Ambassador to China since early last year. Kerry, who represented Massachusetts in the Senate since 1985, served just a few weeks in the 113th Congress before becoming Secretary of State.Whatever the former members of the 113th have to say about their service in Congress, one thing seems pretty clear: Capitol Hill is not a bad stepping stone to future employment.</div></div></div><footer class="entry-meta" style="line-height: 15px;">
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<a href="http://georgemiller.house.gov/">http://georgemiller.house.gov/</a>

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller%28California_politician%29">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller%28California_politician%29</a>
George Miller III (born May 17, 1945) is an American politician who served as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="United States House of Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">U.S. Representative</a> from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California" title="California" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">California</a> from 1975 to 2015. A member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party(United_States)" title="Democratic Party (United States)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Democratic Party</a>, he represented the state's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California%27s_7th_congressional_district" title="California's 7th congressional district" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">7th congressional district</a> until redistricting in 2013 and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California%27s_11th_congressional_district" title="California's 11th congressional district" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">11th congressional district</a> until his retirement. Miller served as Chairman of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Natural_Resources" title="United States House Committee on Natural Resources" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">House Natural Resources Committee</a> from 1991 to 1995 and Chairman of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Education_and_the_Workforce" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">House Education and Labor Committee</a> from 2007 until 2011.<div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading" style="border: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); padding: 7px; display: table;"><ul style="list-style-image: none; margin: 0.3em 0px; padding: 0px; list-style-type: none;"><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#Education_and_early_career" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Education and early career</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#U.S.House_of_Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2U.S. House of Representatives</a><ul style="list-style-image: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px; list-style-type: none;"><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#Elections" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2.1Elections</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#Tenure" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2.2Tenure</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#Committee_assignments" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2.3Committee assignments</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#Caucus_memberships" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2.4Caucus memberships</a></li></ul></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#Personal_life" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">3Personal life</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#Electoral_history" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">4Electoral history</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#References" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">5References</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#Further_reading" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">6Further reading</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-11" style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#External_links" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">7External links</a></li></ul></div><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Education and early career[</h2>He was born in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richmond,California" title="Richmond, California" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Richmond, California</a>, the son of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller,Jr." class="mw-redirect" title="George Miller, Jr." style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">George Miller, Jr.</a>, a leader of the liberal wing of the California Democratic Party at the time. He graduated from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diablo_Valley_Community_College" class="mw-redirect" title="Diablo Valley Community College" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Diablo Valley Community College</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_State_University" title="San Francisco State University" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">San Francisco State University</a>.After his father died on New Year's Day 1969, Miller ran in a March 1969 special election to succeed him in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California%27s_7th_State_Senate_district" title="California's 7th State Senate district" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">California's 7th State Senate district</a>, but Republican <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Nejedly" class="mw-redirect" title="John Nejedly" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">John Nejedly</a> defeated him 57% to 42%.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-1" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[1]</a>He then attended the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,Davis_School_of_Law" class="mw-redirect" title="University of California, Davis School of Law" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">University of California, Davis School of Law</a> (King Hall), where he received his <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juris_Doctor" title="Juris Doctor" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Juris Doctor</a>. Miller served as legislative assistant to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Senate" title="California State Senate" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">California State Senate</a> Majority Leader <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Moscone" title="George Moscone" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">George Moscone</a> before entering the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="United States House of Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United States House of Representatives</a>.<h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">U.S. House of Representatives[</h2><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Elections[</h3><div class="thumb tleft" style="float: left; clear: left; margin: 0.5em 1.4em 1.3em 0px; width: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="thumbinner" style="min-width: 100px; border: 1px solid rgb(200, 204, 209); padding: 3px; background-color: rgb(248, 249, 250); text-align: center; overflow: hidden; width: 202px;">
<div class="thumbcaption" style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.4em; padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><div class="magnify" style="float: right; margin-left: 3px; margin-right: 0px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:George_Miller_1977_congressional_photo.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: linear-gradient(transparent, transparent), url("/w/resources/src/mediawiki.skinning/images/magnify-clip-ltr.svg?8330e"); display: block; text-indent: 15px; white-space: nowrap; overflow: hidden; width: 15px; height: 11px; user-select: none;" /></div>Miller's official portrait in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/95th_United_States_Congress" title="95th United States Congress" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">95th Congress</a>, 1977</div></div></div>In 1974, incumbent Democratic U.S. Representative <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerome_Waldie" title="Jerome Waldie" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Jerome Waldie</a> gave up his seat to make an unsuccessful run for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_California" title="Governor of California" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Governor of California</a>. Miller decided to run for the open seat, which had been renumbered from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California%27s_14th_congressional_district" title="California's 14th congressional district" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">14th congressional district</a> to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California%27s_7th_congressional_district" title="California's 7th congressional district" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">7th congressional district</a> in a mid-decade redistricting. He won the primary with a plurality of 38%.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-2" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[2]</a> In the general election, he defeated Republican Gary Fernandez 56% to 44%,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-3" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[3]</a> the lowest winning percentage of his career. He went on to win reelection 18 times and never won with less than 60% of the vote.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-4" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[4]</a>On April 10, 1975, Miller walked out of the House chamber during President Ford's State of the World speech when he requested military aid for Vietnam.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-5" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[5]</a><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">2012</dt></dl><div role="note" class="hatnote navigation-not-searchable" style="padding-left: 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Main article: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_California,2012#District_11" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2012" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2012 § District 11</a></div>After redistricting, Miller's district was redrawn and renumbered the 11th. He ran against, and defeated, Republican Virginia Fuller in the general election.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-Districts_2012-6" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[6]</a>In a 2012 campaign ad, Miller said that the main challenge the U.S. faces is the need “to correct the disparities that exist in our country.”<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-Reignite_the_American_Dream-7" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[7]</a>Fuller has spoken of her inspiration to run against Miller: "We are going deeper and deeper into a debt our children will never be able to pay." Democratic primary challenger John Fitzgerald, for his part, said that “people like us” need to run for Congress because D.C. pols are no longer in touch with the world.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-CCT_2012_Election-8" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[8]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Tenure[</h3>
In 2011–12, Miller sponsored 10 bills (placing him at #40 out of 440 House members), none of which were made into law (ranks 18 of 440). He co-sponsored 199 bills (placing him at #138 out of 440), 4 of which were made Into law (ranks 17 of 440).<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-Miller_Open_Congress-10" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[10]</a>According to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Journal" title="National Journal" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">National Journal</a>, Miller is one of seven members of the House of Representatives who tie for most liberal.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-Top_Ten_Liberal-9" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[9]</a>During Miller's 1974 campaign, he routinely disclosed his donors and expenses, taking advantage of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal" title="Watergate scandal" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Watergate scandal</a> that was still in the minds of voters. This helped get him a seat in the House at the age of 29, becoming one of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_Babies" title="Watergate Babies" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Watergate Babies</a>. At the time of his retirement, he was one of the last surviving members of the large Democratic freshman class of 1974, and had spent over half of his life in Congress.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-Path_to_Power-11" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[11]</a> Miller has been described as someone who has "proven himself both a liberal lion ...and savvy about working both sides of the aisle.”<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-Liberal_Ally-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[12]</a>With his father being the former chairman of the state Senate Finance Committee and mentor Phillip Burton being an integral part of liberal politics in the 1970s, Miller has been described as the “heir to a tradition of Bay Area working-class politics.” Miller had one of the most liberal voting records in the House, and brings "a zest for political combat." A review of Miller's career states that, although he has been unsuccessful in his pursuit of top party positions, he has "learned a legislator’s virtues of patience, timing, and creativity."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-George_MIller_NJ-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[13]</a><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Environmental issues</dt></dl>In the House, Miller was a member of the Natural Resources Committee; he was that Committee's chairman from 1991 to 1994. Miller supported efforts to preserve public lands such as the 1994 California Desert Protection Act, which among other things created <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley_National_Park" title="Death Valley National Park" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Death Valley National Park</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Tree_National_Park" title="Joshua Tree National Park" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Joshua Tree National Park</a>. In addition, Miller was the chief sponsor of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992, which mandated that the federal government's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bureau_of_Reclamation" title="United States Bureau of Reclamation" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Bureau of Reclamation</a> manage the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Valley_Project" title="Central Valley Project" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Central Valley Project</a> in order to better protect the fish and wildlife populations of California's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_River_Delta" class="mw-redirect" title="Sacramento River Delta" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Bay-Delta region</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-14" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[14]</a> Miller lost his chairmanship when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party(United_States)" title="Republican Party (United States)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Republicans</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Revolution" title="Republican Revolution" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">won control of Congress</a> in 1994. He stayed as the committee's Ranking Member until 2000. and remained on the committee as a member until 2015. Miller was also a member of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Wildlife_Refuge_Caucus" title="Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus</a>.<dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Labor issues</dt></dl>From 2001 to 2006, Miller was the ranking Democrat on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Education_and_Labor" title="United States House Committee on Education and Labor" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Education and the Workforce Committee</a>. With that committee's chairman and their <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Senate</a> counterparts, Miller helped draft the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind_Act" title="No Child Left Behind Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">No Child Left Behind Act</a> in 2001 and 2002. Miller has focused on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pension" title="Pension" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">pension</a> issues, reinstating <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis-Bacon_Act" class="mw-redirect" title="Davis-Bacon Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Davis-Bacon Act</a> wage protections for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Coast_of_the_United_States" title="Gulf Coast of the United States" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Gulf Coast</a> workers in the wake of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina" title="Hurricane Katrina" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Hurricane Katrina</a>. In addition, Miller has worked on education issues such as protesting student aid cuts,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-15" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[15]</a> increasing <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind_Act" title="No Child Left Behind Act" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">No Child Left Behind Act</a> funding, and investigating the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W.Bush_administration" class="mw-redirect" title="George W. Bush administration" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Bush administration</a>'s hiring of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armstrong_Williams" title="Armstrong Williams" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Armstrong Williams</a> to promote that law. Miller has also been a vocal advocate of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organized_labor" class="mw-redirect" title="Organized labor" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">labor</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_reform" title="Immigration reform" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">immigration reform</a> in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mariana_Islands" title="Northern Mariana Islands" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-16" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[16]</a> In 2007, as chairman of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Education_and_Labor" title="United States House Committee on Education and Labor" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">House Education and Labor Committee</a>, Miller sponsored the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Minimum_Wage_Act_of_2007" title="Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007</a>, which was enacted into law as an amendment to another bill. In 2001, Miller said, "The secret ballot is absolutely necessary in order to ensure that workers are not intimidated into voting for a union they might not otherwise choose." He was an "outspoken critic of the apparel industry record on worker safety in foreign factories, most recently in Bangladesh."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-Rep.George_Miller,Worker_Rights_Advocate,to_Retire-17" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[17]</a><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Education</dt></dl>Miller's biggest defeat was when he lost 424-1<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-18" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[18]</a> in congress for his amendment to House Resolution 6 of 1994.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-19" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[19]</a> His refusal to make provision for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling_in_the_United_States" title="Homeschooling in the United States" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">homeschooling</a> caused the national home school community to lobby the whole congress against Miller's amendment<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-20" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[20]</a> to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Improving_America%27s_Schools_Act_of_1994" title="Improving America's Schools Act of 1994" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Improving America's Schools Act of 1994</a>. Miller sponsored the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protecting_Students_from_Sexual_and_Violent_Predators_Act(H.R.2083;113th_Congress)" class="mw-redirect" title="Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act (H.R. 2083; 113th Congress)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Protecting Students from Sexual and Violent Predators Act</a>, a bill that would require school districts receiving federal funds to give all employees criminal background checks.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-kaspOct22-21" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[21]</a> The bill passed the House of Representatives on October 22, 2013.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-kaspOct22-21" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[21]</a><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Port Chicago disaster</dt></dl>Miller has petitioned to clear the names of the sailors of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">World War II</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Chicago_disaster" title="Port Chicago disaster" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Port Chicago disaster</a> in which more than 200 black men were <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court-martial" title="Court-martial" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">court-martialed</a> and 50 convicted of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutiny" title="Mutiny" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">mutiny</a> for refusing to continue to load ammunition onto warships after a tremendous explosion killed hundreds. For the most part, Miller's efforts failed, and fewer than four of the sailors convicted of mutiny are still alive. However, in 1999, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States" title="President of the United States" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">President</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton" title="Bill Clinton" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Bill Clinton</a> pardoned <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Freddie_Meeks&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Freddie Meeks (page does not exist)" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Freddie Meeks</a>, one of the 50 mutineers.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-22" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[22]</a> In addition, Miller wrote the legislation to designate the site of the event as a National Memorial.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-23" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[23]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-24" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[24]</a><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Native American gaming</dt></dl>Miller was a supporter of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_gaming" title="Native American gaming" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; text-decoration-line: none;">Native American gaming</a>. In 2000, as ranking member of the House Resource Committee, Miller inserted an amendment to the Omnibus Indian Advancement Act that took an existing cardroom into federal trust for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lytton_Band_of_Pomo_Indians" title="Lytton Band of Pomo Indians" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Lytton Band of Pomo Indians</a>. The amendment made the land acquisition retroactive to 1987, stating that "[s]uch land shall be deemed to have been held in trust and part of the reservation of the Rancheria prior to October 17, 1988."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-25" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[25]</a> This allowed the Lyttons to open a casino at the cardroom under the terms of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Gaming_Regulatory_Act" title="Indian Gaming Regulatory Act" style="background: none; text-decoration-line: none;">Indian Gaming Regulatory Act</a> of 1988. Some members of Congress and the gambling industry have called the amendment "underhanded," while other politicians have called the maneuver nothing out of the ordinary.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-26" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[26]</a><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">2008 presidential election</dt></dl>Miller, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superdelegate" title="Superdelegate" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">superdelegate</a> in the Democratic Party's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party(United_States)presidential_primaries,2008" class="mw-redirect" title="Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2008</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primary_election" title="Primary election" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">presidential primary</a>, pledged his support to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama" title="Barack Obama" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Barack Obama</a> despite the fact that his district voted for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Clinton" title="Hillary Clinton" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Hillary Clinton</a>. Miller cited Obama's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grassroots_fundraising" title="Grassroots fundraising" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">grassroots fundraising</a> campaign, first-place win in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_caucuses" title="Iowa caucuses" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Iowa caucus</a> and strong showing in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Hampshire_primary" class="mw-redirect" title="New Hampshire primary" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">New Hampshire primary</a>, leadership style and opposition to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War" title="Iraq War" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Iraq War</a> as reasons for his endorsement. The endorsement was first reported in the Contra Costa Times on January 9, 2008.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-27" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[27]</a><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Relationship with Nancy Pelosi</dt></dl>Miller has been considered <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Pelosi" title="Nancy Pelosi" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Nancy Pelosi</a>'s most trusted confidant, with conservative columnist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Novak" title="Robert Novak" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Robert Novak</a> describing him as "her consigliere, always at her side."<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-28" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[28]</a> Pelosi receives advice from Miller as well as protection from potential adversaries in the Democratic Caucus. Miller describes her as the leader he has been waiting for 30 years and supported her when the Democrats lost the majority in 2010, saying that the Obama administration did not defend her or her accomplishments. Pelosi also named Miller chairman of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steering_and_Policy_Committees_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="Steering and Policy Committees of the United States House of Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Democratic Policy Committee</a>, where he had an influential role in preparing the "New Direction" for the 2006 election.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-George_MIller_NJ-13" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[13]</a>Their friendship has spanned "over 30 years and many plane trips to Washington from their neighboring California districts," with some colleagues saying that they have become so close that they finish each other's sentences. The New York Times reported that "In the concerns of some Democrats — and the I-told-you-so’s of some Republicans — Mr. Miller represents Mrs. Pelosi’s true liberal soul.”<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-Liberal_Ally-12" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[12]</a><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">SunPower controversy</dt></dl>It was reported that Miller and his son, George Miller IV, a lobbyist, were involved in the controversy surrounding the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S.Department_of_Energy" class="mw-redirect" title="U.S. Department of Energy" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">U.S. Department of Energy</a> awarding a $1.2 billion loan to the struggling <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SunPower_Corporation" class="mw-redirect" title="SunPower Corporation" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">SunPower Corporation</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-Hot_water-29" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[29]</a> The loan was awarded hours before the DOE program was set to expire. It was reported that by April 2012, the company's stock had fallen nearly 50% since the loan had been awarded. SunPower has paid Miller's son and his lobbying firm US$138,000 to represent them. Miller asserts that he and his son never discusses legislation; his son, however, does boast of political connections in Washington openly.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-Hot_water-29" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[29]</a><dl style="margin-top: 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><dt style="font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Accepting free travel</dt></dl>In January 2012, Miller was cited as one of the members of Congress who had accepted the most free travel the previous year.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-Free_Travel-30" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[30]</a><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Committee assignments[</h3><ul style="list-style-image: url("/w/skins/Vector/resources/common/images/bullet-icon.svg?d4515"); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Education_and_the_Workforce" class="mw-redirect" title="United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Committee on Education and Labor</a> (ranking member)<ul style="list-style-image: url("/w/skins/Vector/resources/common/images/bullet-icon.svg?d4515"); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">As ranking member of the full committee, Miller may serve as an ex officio member of all subcommittees of which he is not already a voting member.</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Education_Subcommittee_on_Workforce_Protections" title="United States House Education Subcommittee on Workforce Protections" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on Workforce Protections</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Education_Subcommittee_on_Health,Employment,Labor,and_Pensions" title="United States House Education Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions</a></li></ul></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Select_Committee_on_Children,Youth,and_Families" title="United States House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">United States House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families</a> (Chair)<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-Hearing-31" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[31]</a></li></ul><h3 style="margin: 0.3em 0px 0px; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Caucus memberships[</h3><ul style="list-style-image: url("/w/skins/Vector/resources/common/images/bullet-icon.svg?d4515"); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Congressional Progressive Caucus</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus</li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congressional_International_Conservation_Caucus" title="United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">International Conservation Caucus</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steering_and_Policy_Committee_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives" class="mw-redirect" title="Steering and Policy Committee of the United States House of Representatives" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee</a> (Co-Chair for Policy)</li></ul><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Personal life[</h2>Miller owned a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Townhouse" title="Townhouse" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">townhouse</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Hill,Washington,D.C." class="mw-redirect" title="Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C." style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.</a> for decades, renting rooms to fellow members of the U.S. House, even after some moved to the Senate. His longest-standing tenants were Senators <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Schumer" title="Chuck Schumer" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Chuck Schumer</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick_Durbin" title="Dick Durbin" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Dick Durbin</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-32" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[32]</a><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-33" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[33]</a> Miller purchased the residence in 1977 and sold it when he retired from the House at the end of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/113th_United_States_Congress" title="113th United States Congress" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">2014</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller(California_politician)#cite_note-34" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[34]</a> Prior tenants included former Representatives <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marty_Russo" title="Marty Russo" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Marty Russo</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Panetta" title="Leon Panetta" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Leon Panetta</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Gejdenson" title="Sam Gejdenson" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">Sam Gejdenson</a>.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller_(California_politician)#cite_note-35" style="text-decoration-line: none; background: none;">[35]</a><h2 style="margin: 1em 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(162, 169, 177); font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Electoral history</h2><div>...</div>

<dl>

<dt>Environmental issues</dt>

</dl>

In the House, Miller has been a member of the Natural Resources Committee; he was that Committee's chairman from 1991 to 1994. Miller has supported efforts to preserve public lands such as the 1994 California Desert Protection Act, which among other things created <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Valley_National_Park" title="Death Valley National Park">Death Valley National Park</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Tree_National_Park" title="Joshua Tree National Park">Joshua Tree National Park</a>. In addition, Miller was the chief sponsor of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act of 1992, which mandated that the federal government's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bureau_of_Reclamation" title="United States Bureau of Reclamation">Bureau of Reclamation</a> manage the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Valley_Project" title="Central Valley Project">Central Valley Project</a> in order to better protect the fish and wildlife populations of California's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_River_Delta" title="Sacramento River Delta" class="mw-redirect">Bay-Delta region</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller%28California_politician%29#cite_note-13">[13]</a> Miller lost his chairmanship when <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party%28United_States%29" title="Republican Party (United States)">Republicans</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Revolution" title="Republican Revolution">won control of Congress</a> in 1994. He stayed as the committee's Ranking Member until 2000, and remains on the committee. Miller is also a member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Wildlife_Refuge_Caucus" title="Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus">Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus</a>.

<dl>

<dt>Labor issues</dt>

</dl>

From 2001 to 2006, Miller was the ranking Democrat on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Education_and_Labor" title="United States House Committee on Education and Labor" class="mw-redirect">Education and the Workforce Committee</a>. With that committee's chairman, and their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate" title="United States Senate">Senate</a> counterparts, Miller helped draft the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind_Act" title="No Child Left Behind Act">No Child Left Behind Act</a> in 2001 and 2002. Miller has focused on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pension" title="Pension">pension</a> issues, reinstating <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davis-Bacon_Act" title="Davis-Bacon Act" class="mw-redirect">Davis-Bacon Act</a> wage protections for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Coast_of_the_United_States" title="Gulf Coast of the United States">Gulf Coast</a> workers in the wake of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Katrina" title="Hurricane Katrina">Hurricane Katrina</a>. In addition, Miller has worked on education issues such as protesting student aid cuts,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller%28California_politician%29#cite_note-14">[14]</a> increasing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Child_Left_Behind_Act" title="No Child Left Behind Act">No Child Left Behind Act</a> funding, and investigating the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_W.Bush_administration" title="George W. Bush administration" class="mw-redirect">Bush administration</a>'s hiring of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armstrong_Williams" title="Armstrong Williams">Armstrong Williams</a> to promote that law. Miller has also been a vocal advocate of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organized_labor" title="Organized labor" class="mw-redirect">labor</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_reform" title="Immigration reform">immigration reform</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Mariana_Islands" title="Northern Mariana Islands">Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Miller_%28California_politician%29#cite_note-15">[15]</a> In 2007, as chairman of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Education_and_Labor" title="United States House Committee on Education and Labor" class="mw-redirect">House Education and Labor Committee</a>, Miller sponsored the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_Minimum_Wage_Act_of_2007" title="Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007">Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007</a>, which was enacted into law as an amendment to another bill. In 2001, Miller said, "The secret ballot is absolutely necessary in order to ensure that workers are not intimidated into voting for a union they might not otherwise choose."

[kos: And the CNMI invoices offer some more insight: Team Abramoff's point man for the White House was Tony Rudy.

The admitted felon was billing CNMI for meetings with the White House almost every week. Other Team members get meeting as well. And these are only the records for one of Jack's clients for 2001. I suspect there were many meetings.

(I'm sure that this was part of the information suppressed by John McCain when he picked which documents the Indian Affairs Committee would release to the public. I find it odd that not a single page of Abramoff invoices to the Tribes was included, but I digress)

Last Friday, the Bush Administration proved (once again) that, like the GOP Congress and Senate, they are incapable of investigating themselves. That was clear when Bush's DOJ Inspector General released a whitewashing report of Abramoff's influence on Guam.

To refute the report, I posted <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/7/4/02258/64011" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.4; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">an Oct. 10, 2001 e-mail from Abramoff</a> that shows the overwhelming need for an independent prosecutor to investigate Jack Abramoff and all things connected to this scandal. Without such an appointment the Bush team may be able to run out the clock and Justice will be denied.

And Justice is long overdue, especially for the women who have been moved through a GOP protected system of sexual abuse, forced abortions, force prostitution and cruelty for the last twelve years.

We have to end this abuse that continues to this day, under our flag on the Mariana Islands.

Abramoff was a 25-year bag man for the GOP. For him and his pals, the suffering and abuse was OK because it helped the GOP take power.

We can not allow this to go on.

We need to keep the focus of the Abramoff scandal on what it is: a GOP sex scandal.

One great way to help drive that focus is to support H.R. 5550, <a href="http://www.house.gov/georgemiller/newmarianas.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.4; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">the Human Dignity Act</a>.

The Bill would extend US labor, immigration and custom laws to the rogue US Territory: the Commonwealth of North Mariana Islands (CNMI). This is the legislation Abramoff, DeLay and the GOP have blocked for more than a decade. Justice is long overdue.

So far there ONLY 24 Members of Congress joining with George Miller as Co-Sponsors of this Bill. They are all Democrats.

EVERY Democrat should be a sponsor. We need to get on the phone, send out emails, letters and demand that every Democrat becomes a co-sponsor. And we need to apply the pressure to every member of the GOP caucus.

We need to make this an issue for every House race in 2006. The more we talk about it the less likely it is that the Bush political appointees will be able to sweep the Abramoff/DeLay abuse investigation under the rug (once again).

Every member of the GOP Caucus who worked to block legislation extending US labor, immigration and custom laws to CNMI should be put on the defensive. The crimes were real and the evidence has been presented to Congress since before 1994. And the abuse<a href="http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=5800/overideSkinName=issueArticle-full.tpl" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.4; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">continues to this very day</a>. It is time to hold these folks accountable: both as co-conspirators and at the ballot box.]

---

Led by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Shelly Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), some lawmakers have sought to expand MSHA's limited subpoena power and boost civil and criminal penalties on operators who break the law. Those reforms have been kept at bay by the coal industry, which has spent at least $13 million on lobbying this year, and industry-friendly Republicans, who seem loath to impose any regulations on Big Coal. Earlier this year, an official with the industry group the National Mining Association (NMA), speaking as a guest of the GOP, went so far as to tell lawmakers at a mine safety hearing that the industry should be allowed to <a href="http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2011/05/04/mining-industry-seeks-voluntary-safety-program/" target="_hplink">simply police itself</a>.

"We're trying to be open-minded about it," NMA spokesman Luke Popovich tells HuffPost, speaking about MSHA reform. "We don't see the need for additional authority. MSHA has only started to use the authority it has that could improve mine safety."

Miller, Geo Rep CA

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