Jeff Miller (Florida politician)

Jeff Miller
Chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Bob Filner
Succeeded by	Phil Roe (Designate)
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office October 16, 2001
Preceded by	Joe Scarborough
Succeeded by	Matt Gaetz (elect)
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 1st district
In office 1999–2001
Preceded by	Jerry Burroughs
Succeeded by	Greg Evers
Personal details
Born	Jefferson Bingham Miller June 27, 1959 St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Vicki Miller
Alma mater	University of Florida (BA)

Jefferson Bingham "Jeff" Miller (born June 27, 1959) is the U.S. Representative for Florida's 1st congressional district, serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes all of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, and Washington Counties.

Early life, education, and career

Miller was born in St. Petersburg, Florida. After graduating from Bronson High School in 1977, he served for one year under the National FFA Organization as Florida state Secretary. Miller went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism^[1] from the University of Florida in 1984.^[2] He was a real estate broker and a deputy sheriff before taking public office.^[3]

Personal life

Miller lives in the small town of Chumuckla, Florida (Native American word for "Healing Waters"), which is located about 20 miles northeast of Pensacola, Florida. He and his wife Vicki have two children and four grandchildren and are members of Olive Baptist Church.

Florida legislature

Miller was an executive assistant to Democratic state Agriculture Commissioner Doyle Conner from 1984 to 1988. He was a Democrat until he switched parties in 1997.^[4]

Miller was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1998 to 2001.^[2] During his three years there, he was a member of the committees on Utilities & Telecommunications, Congressional Redistricting, Council for Ready Infrastructure, and Rules, Ethics & Elections. During his second term in the state house, Miller was chairman of the Utilities of Telecommunications Committee. He also oversaw a board in charge of community development in Escambia County.

U.S. House of Representatives

Congressman Jeff Miller and Captain Enrique Sadsad cut a cake at Naval Air Station Whiting Field

Congressman Jeff Miller introduces former Senator and Republican party presidential candidate Fred Thompson at a Florida rally in 2007

After Republican incumbent Joe Scarborough resigned five months into his fourth term, Miller won a crowded six-way special Republican primary with 54 percent of the vote. He won the special election with 66 percent of the vote. He won a full term in 2002 with 75 percent of the vote, and has been reelected six more times with only nominal opposition.

Miller announced that he will not seek reelection during the 2016 elections.^[5]

Committee assignments

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
• Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (Chairman)
• Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Caucus memberships

• International Conservation Caucus
• Israel Allies Caucus
• Liberty Caucus
• Sportsmen's Caucus

During the 107th Congress, he served on the House Armed Services Committee (Subcommittee on Total Force^[6] and the Subcommittee on Military Research and Development^[6]) and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.^[3]

During the 108th Congress, he served on the House Armed Services Committee (Subcommittee on Readiness^[7] and the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities^[7]) and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.^[8]

During the 109th Congress, he served on the House Armed Services Committee (Subcommittee on Readiness^[9] the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities,^[9] and the Subcommittee on Projection Forces^[9]), the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and the United States Select Bipartisan Committee on Hurricane Katrina Preparation/Response Investigation.^[10]

Post Congressional Career

Jeff Miller will retire from the US House of Representatives on January 3, 2017. He is currently being considered for a position in President-Elect Donald Trump's Cabinet, with Secretary of Veterans Affairs being most likely.

Political positions

Miller typically votes along Republican party lines.

Foreign affairs

• Anti-Dubai Port Deal^[11]
• Pro-defense spending^[12]
• Pro-increased veterans' benefits^[13]
• Supports continued U.S. military involvement in Iraq^[14]
• Supports creation of usable "mini-nukes"
• Pro-military tribunals for detainees^[15]
• Anti-United Nations^[16]

Economics

• Against the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (September 29, 2008 vote)^[17]
• Pro-making President Bush's tax cuts permanent^[18]
• Pro-Social Security reform/privatization^[19] (see Social Security debate in the United States)
• Pro-media diversification^[20]
• On the fence regarding Internet radio and webcasting^[21]
• Anti-"A la carte" cable television^[22]
• Anti-farm subsidies – Voted against the farm bill^[23]
• Pro-free trade^[24]
• Pro-drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge^[25]
• Miller signed a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity promising to vote against any Global Warming legislation that would raise taxes.^[26]

Government

• Anti-house ethics rules^[27]
• Anti-lobbying reform^[28]
• Pro-cutting congressmembers' pay^[29]

Social issues

• Pro-life^[30]
• Anti-human embryonic stem cell research^[31]
• Anti-gay rights^{[32][33][34][35][36]}
• Anti-church and state separation^[37]
• Pro-Immigration reform (anti illegal immigration)^[38]
• Pro-NRA / Anti-gun control^[39]
• Pro-medical malpractice reform^[40]
• Pro-education vouchers^[41]

Legislation sponsored

This is a partial list of legislation sponsored by Miller.

• To establish a commission or task force to evaluate the backlog of disability claims of the Department of Veterans Affairs – a bill that would create a task force to address the issue of a large backlog of veterans disability claims.^[42]
• TSA Loose Change Act (H.R. 1095; 113th Congress) – a bill that would force the Transportation Security Administration to give the money left behind by passengers at TSA checkpoints to private charities that provide travel-related services to the members of the U.S. military and their families.^[43] Miller introduced the bill on March 12, 2013.^[44]
• GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013 (H.R. 357; 113th Congress) – a bill that would require states to offer veterans the in-state tuition price instead of the out-of-state tuition price regardless of whether the veteran met the residency requirement.^[45] The bill would also make other changes to veterans' benefits.^[46] The bill passed the House of Representatives on February 3, 2014.
• Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014 (H.R. 4031; 113th Congress) – a bill that would give the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs the authority to remove or demote any individual from the Senior Executive Service upon determining that such individual's performance warrants removal or demotion.^[47] The bill was written in response to a scandal indicating that some VA hospitals were keeping secret waiting lists for care, the length of which may have led to the deaths of some veterans.^[48]
• Veteran Access to Care Act of 2014 (H.R. 4810; 113th Congress) – a bill that would allow United States veterans to receive their healthcare from non-VA facilities under certain conditions.^[49][50] The bill is a response to the Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014, in which it was discovered that there was systematic lying about the wait times veterans experienced waiting to be seen by doctors.^[51][52] By June 5, 2014, Veterans Affairs internal investigations had identified a total of 35 veterans who had died while waiting for care in the Phoenix VHA system.^[53] Miller said that the wait times veterans were forced to face was "a national disgrace."^[54]

Electoral history

• 2001 Special House Election – Florida 1st District
  • Jeff Miller (R) 66%
  • Steve Briese (D) 28%
  • John G. Ralls, Jr. (NPA) 6%
• 2002 Race for U.S. House of Representatives – Florida 1st District – Republican Primary
  • Jeff Miller (R) (inc.), 64%
  • Mike Francisco (R), 36%
• 2002 Race for U.S. House of Representatives – Florida 1st District
  • Jeff Miller (R) (inc.), 74%
  • Bert Oram (D), 26%
• 2004 Race for U.S. House of Representatives – Florida 1st District
  • Jeff Miller (R) (inc.), 76%
  • Mark Coutu (D), 24%
• 2006 Race for U.S. House of Representatives – Florida 1st District
  • Jeff Miller (R) (inc.), 69%
  • Joe Roberts (D), 30%
• 2008 Race for U.S. House of Representatives – Florida 1st District
  • Jeff Miller (R) (inc.), 70%
  • Jim Bryan (D), 29%
• 2010 Race for U.S. House of Representatives – Florida 1st District
  • Jeff Miller (R) (inc.), 81%
  • Joe Cantrell (NPA), 10%
  • John Krause (NPA), 8%
• 2012 Race for U.S. House of Representatives – Florida 1st District
  • Jeff Miller (R) (inc.), 70%
  • Jim Bryan (D), 27%
  • Calen Fretts (LBT), 3%
• 2014 Race for U.S. House of Representatives – Florida 1st District – Republican Primary
  • Jeff Miller (R) (inc.), 75%
  • John Krause (R), 25%
• 2014 Race for U.S. House of Representatives – Florida 1st District
• Jeff Miller (R) (inc.), 70%
  • Jim Bryan (D), 23%
  • Mark Wichern(NPA), 6%

References

1. "Jeff Miller at NNDB".
2. "Jeff Miller's Florida House of Representatives Profile".
3. "Jeff Miller's Profile".
4. "Jeff Miller's AP Candidate Profile".
5. Isern, Will (March 10, 2016). "Jeff Miller will not seek re-election". Pensacola News Journal. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
6. House Armed Services Subcomittee membership list, 107th Congress at the Wayback Machine (archived December 14, 2002)
7. "House Armed Services Subcomittee membership list, 108th Congress". Archived from the original on June 3, 2004.
8. "Jeff Miller's Committee Membership".
9. "House Armed Services Subcomittee membership list".
10. "Vote Smart info on Hurricane Katrina Preparation/Response Investigation Committee".
11. "Jeff Miller on Dubai Port Deal".
12. Jeff Miller on Defense (That region of the Gulf Coast has several military bases)
13. "Jeff Miller on Veterans' Benefits".
14. "Jeff Miller on War & Peace". ontheissues.org.
15. Voted Aye on S. 3930: Military Commissions Act of 2006
16. "Jeff Miller on the United Nations".
17. "Bailout Roll Call" (PDF). 2008-09-29. Retrieved September 29, 2008.
18. "Jeff Miller on Taxes".
19. "Jeff Miller on Social Security".
20. Jeff Miller on Telecommunications states that he supported H.R. 2052: Preservation of Localism, Program Diversity, and Competition in Television Broadcast Service Act
21. "Jeff Miller on Internet Radio".
22. "Jeff Miller on Telecommunications".
23. "Jeff Miller on Agriculture".
24. Voted Aye on DR-CAFTA: H.R. 3045: Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act
25. "Jeff Miller on the Environment".
26. http://americansforprosperity.org/noclimatetax//wp-content/uploads/2009/06/miller-jeff.pdf
27. Just how tangled up in the GOP Culture of Corruption is Jeff Miller?
28. Voted Nay on H. Res. 648: To eliminate floor privileges and access to Member exercise facilities for registered lobbyists...
29. "Jeff Miller on Government Reform".
30. "Jeff Miller on Abortion".
31. Voted Nay on H.R. 810: Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005
37. "Jeff Miller on the Judiciary".
38. "Jeff Miller on Immigration".
39. "Jeff Miller on 2nd Amendment Rights".
40. "Jeff Miller on Healthcare".
41. "Jeff Miller on Education".
42. "H.R. 2189 – Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
43. Thorp, Frank (3 December 2013). "House: Give loose change left at TSA gates to troop group". NBC News. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
44. "H.R. 1095 – All Actions". United States Congress. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
45. Kasperowicz, Pete (3 February 2014). "House votes to give vets in-state tuition rates". The Hill. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
46. "H.R. 357 – Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
47. "H.R. 4031 – Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
48. Gehrke, Joel (17 May 2014). "Veterans Affairs official resigns as White House says there's 'just a suggestion' of scandal". The Washington Examiner. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
49. "H.R. 4810 – Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
50. "CBO – H.R. 4810" (PDF). Congressional Budget Office. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
51. Griffin, Richard J., Acting Inspector General, Interim Report: Review of Patient Wait Times, Scheduling Practices, and Alleged Patient Deaths at the Phoenix Health Care System, VA Office of Inspector General, Veterans Health Administration, Dept. of Veterans Affairs, May 28, 2014, 14-02603-178, Washington, D.C., retrieved June 7, 2014
52. Scott Bronstein and Drew Griffin. "A fatal wait: Veterans languish and die on a VA hospital's secret list". CNN. Retrieved 31 May 2014.
53. Associated Press. "VA chief: 18 vets left off waiting list have died". The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
54. Marcos, Cristina (10 June 2014). "House passes VA overhaul bill... twice". The Hill. Retrieved 12 June 2014.

External links

• Congressman Jeff Miller official U.S. House site
• Jeff Miller for Congress
• Jeff Miller at DMOZ
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Project Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at The Library of Congress