George Miller

George Miller is the co-chair of BPC’s Early Childhood Initiative. He previously served as a Member of Congress from California from 1975 until his retirement in 2015. Miller served as the senior Democrat on the House Education and Workforce Committee and was its chairman from 2007 to 2010. He also was chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee, a leadership position. During his 40-year career in Washington, Miller was a leading advocate on education, labor, the economy, and the environment. He represented the 7th and then, after redistricting, the 11th District of California in the East Bay of San Francisco. Over the years, his district included portions of Contra Costa and Solano Counties, including Richmond, Concord, Martinez, Walnut Creek, Danville, Pittsburg, Benicia, Vallejo, and Vacaville. From 1991 to 1994, Miller chaired the House Natural Resources Committee, one of the primary committees overseeing the environment, energy, and public lands, and served as the committee’s senior Democrat until 2000. Among Miller’s top priorities in Congress were strengthening and growing America’s middle class and ensuring economic growth that creates good American jobs. He has been a strong leader in the effort to protect Americans’ retirement and health security; to further innovation in technology, science and education; to make college more affordable; to improve child nutrition; to make k-12 public schools more successful; and to reduce global warming. In the 111th Congress, he helped craft President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) to get the economy moving forward again. The ARRA also included historic investments to spur education reform, including the Race to the Top program, which has encouraged states to modernize their schools, reward excellent teachers, and use data to help increase student achievement.