Rep. George Miller (D-CA), ranking member on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and winner of ACTE’s Policymaker of the Year Award in 2010, announced his retirement on Monday. He will not seek re-election in 2014.
Upon his retirement, Rep. Miller will have served in the House for nearly four decades, crusading for the rights of children to have the best quality education possible. Originally elected to the House in 1974, Miller used this tough demeanor to push his legislative ideas through with bipartisan support. Key accomplishments included a plan in 2006 to reduce the interest rates students paid, as well as the controversial No Child Left Behind Act in 2001. Rep. Miller has held the position of chairs of both the Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families (1983-1992) and the Committee on Education and Labor (2007-2010), and has also served periods of time in the ranking member position on the education committee, including during the 2006 Perkins reauthorization, where he played an instrumental role.
Rep. Miller’s announcement occurs at a unique time, as Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has also announced his plans to retire. However, Rep. Miller hopes to finish his congressional career on a high note. His goals include finishing the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act and promoting his bill to provide early childhood education.
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