House clerk defends oversight of page program

House Clerk Lorraine Miller on Friday released a second statement defending her handling of the House page program, which two Republican House members criticized Thursday as they resigned from the House Page Board.
    
Reps. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) charged that Miller had not informed them promptly of page infractions in their resignation announcements.

{mosads}Miller, however, said Brown-Waite was not informed immediately of a page’s dismissal because the incident occurred over a weekend. The congresswoman “was informed on the next business day,” Miller said in her statement.

Board members then asked that they be informed immediately of any such disciplinary action, and Miller said she provided an immediate notification of the most recent page infraction.

Miller also said board members had received “regular, comprehensive updates at scheduled board meetings, as well as frequent e-mails and update memos,” and that they were able to provide valuable input at an “unprecedented” seven board meetings held over the past year.

“I regret that Rep. Brown-Waite does not feel that these forums offered the opportunity to present her concerns and the insight that she has received from her discussions with parents and pages,” Miller said.

She also said she would work closely with the board to implement the “immediate and thorough” review of the security and oversight of the page program, as directed Friday by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).