Brad Miller (congressman)

Infobox_Congressman
name = Brad Miller


width = 200
date of birth = birth date and age|1953|05|19
place of birth = Fayetteville, North Carolina
occupation= attorney
residence= Raleigh, North Carolina
alma_mater= University of North Carolina, London School of Economics, Columbia University
state = North Carolina
district = 13th
term_start = January 3, 2003
preceded = None (District Created After 2000 Census)
succeeded = Incumbent
party = Democratic
spouse = Esther Hall
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.

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 University 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 poltics. 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. [ [http://www.bradmiller.org/bio.php Campaign website biography] ]

Elections to Congress

In 2002, Miller was elected to represent North Carolina in the United States House of Representatives from the 13th district, a new seat allocated to North Carolina following the 2000 Census [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/nc13_109.gifmap] . 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. [ [http://mobile.newsobserver.com/politics/politicians/miller/story/1262360p-7381055c.html The News & Observer ] ] 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. [http://www.newsobserver.com/630/story/445032.html newsobserver.com | Contest for 13th already strident ] ] , [ [http://www.newsobserver.com/1101/story/500754.html newsobserver.com | The birth of rumor ill-sired ] ] , [ [http://www.newsobserver.com/722/story/499865.html newsobserver.com | Attacks fly fast in 13th debate ] ] Robinson made several accusations against Miller, including that he was cutting money from troops to study the sex lives of prostitutes [ [http://factcheck.org/article442.html FactCheck.org: "XXX" Marks the Spot Where Campaign Ads Head South ] ] , that Miller was gay, despite having a wife , and that he was allowing illegal immigrants to sneak into America. [http://www.vernonrobinson.com/media/mariachiad.html]

Miller defeated Robinson in a lopsided 64% to 36% win, according to unofficial results. [http://www.wral.com/news/10265615/detail.html]

In 2007, Miller considered a run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Elizabeth Dole [ [http://www.newsobserver.com/114/story/563228.html newsobserver.com | Miller looking at Senate race ] ] , [ [http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173351124457&path=!localnews&s=1037645509099 Winston-Salem Journal] ] but decided against it. [ [http://projects.newsobserver.com/blogs/draft_dodger Draft dodger? | newsobserver.com projects ] ]

Congressional service

Committee Assignments

*Financial Services Committee
**Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises
**Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
*Foreign Affairs Committee
**Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
**Subcommittee on Europe (Vice Chair)
*Science and Technology Committee
**Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight (Chairman)

In Congress, Miller has served on the House Financial Services Committee, where he has worked on protecting consumers against predatory mortgage lending. He has also served on the House Science and Technology Committee. In January 2007, Miller was named to the House Foreign Affairs Committee. [ [http://www.newsobserver.com/659/story/531452.html newsobserver.com | Speaker vote sparks talk of deal with GOP ] ] Soon thereafter, he was appointed chairman of the new Science and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight. [ [http://www.newsobserver.com/659/story/535476.html newsobserver.com | Edwards says Iran must not get nuclear bomb ] ]

More recently, Miller worked closely with House leaders to help pass the contempt resolution regarding former White House Counsel Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten. They were cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to appear or provide subpoenaed documents to the House Judiciary Committee seeking information on the U.S. Attorney firings. [ [http://www.bradblog.com/?p=5247 The Brad Blog : Breaking: Judiciary Committee Files Contempt Of Congress Report With House Clerk ] ]

Miller co-founded and co-chairs the bipartisan congressional Community College caucus, which educates members of Congress on the importance of community colleges. [ [http://www.house.gov/bradmiller/prpr20060208.html Congressman Brad Miller : Home ] ] For his efforts, he was recognized with the Congressional Award from the Council for Resource Development. [ [http://www.house.gov/bradmiller/prpr20061006.html Congressman Brad Miller : Home ] ]

Miller is an occasional blogger at the DailyKos [ [http://www.dailykos.com/user/uid:50012 Daily Kos :: Diaries ] ] .

Miller and his wife are parishioners at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Raleigh, North Carolina. [http://www.cgs-raleigh.org]

On May 8, 2008 he endorsed Barack Obama for President of the United States.

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)

ource

*http://www.house.gov/bradmiller

References

External links

* [http://www.house.gov/bradmiller/ Representative Brad Miller] official U.S. House site
* [http://www.bradmiller.org/ Brad Miller for Congress] official campaign site
* [http://www.congress.org/congressorg/bio/?id=5523 Congress.org Brad Miller page]
* [http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/1/24/11426/3083 Daily Kos: Democrats Form New Science Subcommittee]
* [http://projects.newsobserver.com/dome/profiles/brad_miller News & Observer "Under the Dome" Profile]
* [http://www.draftbradmiller.org Draft Brad Miller for Senate]
* [http://ncdp.org/ North Carolina Democratic Party]

USRepSuccession box
state=North Carolina
district=13
before=None (District Created after 2000 Census)
years=2003–Present