Brad Miller (congressman)

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Brad Miller

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 7, 2003–
Preceded by	None (District Created After 2000 Census)
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	May 19, 1953 (age 53) Fayetteville, North Carolina
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Esther Hall
Religion	Episcopalian

Ralph Bradley "Brad" Miller (born May 19, 1953) is an American politician from North Carolina, representing the state's Thirteenth District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

1 Earlier life
2 Elections to Congress
3 Congressional service
4 Quotes
- 4.1 Source
5 External links

[edit] Earlier life

Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, he received a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1975, an M.S. from the London School of Economics in 1978, and a J.D. from Columbia University in 1979. He practiced law and 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 house Judiciary Committee, Miller helped pass legislation addressing racial profiling.[1]

[edit] 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 (map). 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.[2] 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. [3],[4], [5]

Miller defeated Robinson in a lopsided 64% to 36% win, according to unofficial results. [6]

[edit] Congressional service

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.[7] Soon thereafter, he was appointed chairman of the new Science and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight.[8]

Miller co-founded and co-chairs the bipartisan congressional Community College caucus, which educates members of Congress on the importance of community colleges.[9]. For his efforts, he was recognized with the Congressional Award from the Council for Resource Development. [10]

Miller is an occasional blogger at the DailyKos [11].

Miller and his wife are parishioners at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Raleigh, NC.[12]

[edit] 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)