By JENNIFER DUNCANAssociated PressAUSTIN, Texas (AP) A former Republican lawmaker who was in charge of drafting the 2010 federal education law is now Trump’s top education adviser.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has tapped Steven Miller, a former Republican member of the House of Representatives, to be deputy secretary of the Department of Education.

Miller has served in the House for 18 years and was a member of President George W. Bush’s administration.

Education secretary Betsy DeVos speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 29, 2021.

Education Department Secretary Betsy Trump speaks during an interview with reporters on March 31, 2021 in the East Room of the White Senate Office Building in Washington.

Education department secretary Betsy Trump delivers remarks during an economic development summit in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Education assistant secretary for policy, Anne-Marie Auerbach, who had been in charge for the last several years, will serve as acting director of the Education Department until a permanent replacement is named.

Trump has appointed Miller, 61, to the post in a cabinet-level transition.

Miller previously served as a federal district court judge in Indiana and as a state appellate judge.

He was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2013 and served as deputy secretary for legislative affairs for the Obama administration.

Miller’s experience in education comes at a critical time for the Trump administration, which has struggled to overhaul federal education policy.

The department’s work has centered on improving test scores, and the president has made education one of his top priorities.

Miller said he expects the secretary will make education reform a top priority for the next administration.

“I will do my utmost to implement this ambitious agenda that I’ve worked so hard on over the last three years,” Miller said.

The Education Department’s job of making sure students and families get the best education possible is a top goal for the department, Miller said during his confirmation hearing.

The agency is also working on improving college readiness and the workforce.

Miller, a Texas native who was elected to Congress in 2010, was appointed to the position by President Donald Trump.

He is the first of two new deputy secretaries to join the Trump White House.

The administration also has begun the process of hiring a replacement for former education secretary for education.