| Brad Miller | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | None (District Re-established after 2000 Census) |
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| Born | May 19, 1953 Fayetteville, North Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Esther Hall |
| Residence | Raleigh, North Carolina |
| Alma mater | University of North Carolina, London School of Economics, Columbia Law School |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Ralph Bradley "Brad" Miller (born May 19, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician from North Carolina, currently representing the state's Thirteenth District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
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Earlier life and Education
Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Miller attended Terry Sanford Senior High in Fayetteville. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1975, an Master's degree from the London School of Economics in 1978, and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 1979. After graduation he served as clerk to Judge J. Dickson Phillips, Jr of the United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Miller practiced law in Raleigh before entering politics. He was a member of the North Carolina State House of Representatives from 1992 until 1994 and a member of the North Carolina State Senate from 1996 to 2002. As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Miller helped pass legislation addressing racial profiling.[1]
Elections to Congress
In 2002, Miller was elected to represent North Carolina in the United States House of Representatives from the 13th district, the seat re-established following the 2000 Census.[2] As Chairman of the State Senate Redistricting Committee, he helped to draw that district. Miller advanced from a crowded Democratic primary, which included former Congressman Robin Britt, to defeat Republican Carolyn Grant and a Libertarian candidate with roughly 55% of the vote. Grant later sued Miller alleging, among other things, that he and his campaign defamed her in an October 2002 television advertisement.[3] She later dropped the suit after she failed to comply with several court orders.
Miller was elected to his second term in the 2004 Congressional elections, earning 59% of the vote and defeating Republican Virginia Johnson.
In 2006, Miller's opponent was Vernon Robinson, a conservative African American politician who is a former city council member and current resident of Winston-Salem, North Carolina (outside the thirteenth congressional district). Robinson was able to garner national attention due to his bombastic and exaggerative rhetoric.[4][5][6] Robinson made several accusations against Miller, including that he was cutting money from troops to study the sex lives of prostitutes,[7] that Miller was gay, despite having a wife,[4] and that he was allowing illegal immigrants to sneak into America.[8]
Miller defeated Robinson in a 64% to 36% win, according to unofficial results.[9]
In 2007, Miller considered a run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Elizabeth Dole[10][11] but decided against it.[12] Later, he ruled out running against Sen. Richard Burr in 2010.[13]
Congressional career
Committee assignments
- Committee on Financial Services
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Committee on Science and Technology
- Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight (Chairman)
Legislative Accomplishments
Predatory Lending & Consumer Financial Protection
The Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2009
In Congress, Miller serves on the House Financial Services Committee, where he has worked to protect consumers from abusive lending, especially predatory mortgage lending. In 2007 and 2009, the House passed comprehensive federal mortgage lending reform legislation authored by Miller, but neither bill was subsequently considered in the Senate.[14].
Financial Product Safety Commission Act of 2009
In 2009, Miller introduced legislation with Rep. Bill Delahunt (D-MA) to establish a Financial Product Safety Commission. The bill, modeled on a concept proposed by Havard Law School Professor Elizabeth Warren, was subsequently included in the financial regulatory reform package announced by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on July 24, 2009.[15]
The Emergency Homeownership and Mortgage Equity Protection Act of 2007
On September 20, 2007, Rep. Miller introduced H.R. 3609, becoming the first member of Congress to propose that bankruptcy courts be allowed to modify, or "cram-down," the mortgage debt of persons in foreclosure or against whom foreclosure proceedings had been commenced.[16]
Additional Legislative Facts
Miller also serves on the House Science and Technology Committee. In January 2007, Miller was named to the House Foreign Affairs Committee.[17] Soon thereafter, he was appointed chairman of the new Science and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight.[18]
Miller co-founded and co-chairs the bipartisan congressional Community College caucus, which educates members of Congress on the importance of community colleges.[19] For his efforts, he was recognized with the Congressional Award from the Council for Resource Development. [20]
Miller is an occasional blogger at the DailyKos.[21]
Miller and his wife are parishioners at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Raleigh, North Carolina.[22]
On May 8, 2008 Miller endorsed Barack Obama for President of the United States.
AIG Hearing
On March 18, 2009, Miller, a member of the Financial Services Committee, excoriated American International Group (AIG) Chairman Edward Liddy during testimony pertaining to the insurance company's controversial financial policies following its receipt of federal assistance. Miller was particularly indignant because of AIG's allocation of $49.5 billion of taxpayer resources towards bank credit insurance policies, criticizing the company for acting to compromise "market discipline."[23]
Political positions
Miller was originally in favor of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) being located close to his district in Butner, North Carolina, but changed his mind after considerable resistance to the project arose.[24]
Quotes
- "Eighty percent is not the bottom end. That’s the vast majority of workers not sharing in economic prosperity from production increases." (2006, to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke)
- "With tax cuts going to the people who receive inherited wealth, can you identify a single policy of this Congress or the Bush Administration that appears directed at closing income inequality or the concentration of wealth?" (2006, also to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke)
- "For four years, patriotic Americans, Democrats and Republicans alike, have anguished over events in Iraq, and given deep and prayerful thought to alternatives. But the Bush Administration dismissed and insulted dissenters, and often made fierce attempts to discredit them. Not even General Eric Shinseki, the Chief of Staff of the Army, or James Baker, Secretary of State for the first President Bush, were spared. And the Bush Administration has treated criticisms of Members of Congress as meddling, as sticking our nose in their war. House Democrats have offered plan after plan to alter our course in Iraq, and House Republicans greeted every plan with strident attack." (February 16, 2007)
References
- ^ Campaign website biography
- ^ http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/nc13_109.gif map
- ^ The News & Observer
- ^ a b newsobserver.com | Contest for 13th already strident
- ^ newsobserver.com | The birth of rumor ill-sired
- ^ newsobserver.com | Attacks fly fast in 13th debate
- ^ FactCheck.org: "XXX" Marks the Spot Where Campaign Ads Head South
- ^ http://www.vernonrobinson.com/media/mariachiad.html
- ^ http://www.wral.com/news/10265615/detail.html
- ^ newsobserver.com | Miller looking at Senate race
- ^ Winston-Salem Journal
- ^ Draft dodger? | newsobserver.com projects
- ^ Miller won't challenge Burr; others mum
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ [3]
- ^ newsobserver.com | Speaker vote sparks talk of deal with GOP
- ^ newsobserver.com | Edwards says Iran must not get nuclear bomb
- ^ Congressman Brad Miller : Home
- ^ Congressman Brad Miller : Home
- ^ Daily Kos :: Diaries
- ^ http://www.cgs-raleigh.org
- ^ http://projects.newsobserver.com/under_the_dome/miller_attacks_aig_head_at_hearing
- ^ Sorg, Lisa (2008-10-15). "B.J. Lawson, The Hybrid Candidate". Independent Weekly. http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A266929. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
External links
- Representative Brad Miller official U.S. House site
- Brad Miller for Congress official campaign site
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
- Congress.org Brad Miller page
- Daily Kos: Democrats Form New Science Subcommittee
- News & Observer "Under the Dome" Profile
- Draft Brad Miller for Senate
- North Carolina Democratic Party
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None (District Re-established after 2000 Census) |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 13th congressional district 2003–Present |
Incumbent |
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