Chuck Around
New York

Every year, Chuck commits to traveling to all
62 counties in New York to meet with constituents.

Filter by year

Filter by county

{"78F71613-5056-A066-60E6-8B41C93E2F0A":{"TotalRows":1,"uid":"78F71613-5056-A066-60E6-8B41C93E2F0A","title":"Northern Border- Massena ","summary":"Massena, NY ","eventType":"chuck-around-ny","eventTypeLabel":"Chuck Around NY","date":"May 5, 2021","url":"about/chuck-around-new-york/northern-border_massena-","city":"Massena","county":"St. Lawrence","lat":44.9351686,"lng":-74.84529169999999,"description":"On May 5, 2021, standing at Massena International Airport in the wake of the announcement that New York would begin lifting many COVID restrictions on May 19th, due to increasing vaccination rate and falling COVID rates, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer called on the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security to coordinate with Canadian government and public health officials to develop a comprehensive plan, based on data, science and common sense, for reopening the Northern Border. \r\n Since March 2020, American and Canadian stakeholders on both sides of the border have grown frustrated with the endless cycle of month-by-month closure extensions and the lack of transparency on which they’re decided. With the current moratorium on non-essential traffic set to expire on May 21, and vaccination rates rising on both sides of the border, Schumer urged the relevant parties to come to an agreement as soon as possible on how and when to allow for increased cross border travel to avoid the loss of another summer season and hundreds of millions in cross-border dollars.\r\n Schumer explained the Thousand Island-St. Lawrence Seaway region’s economy is deeply integrated with the Canadian economy. Each year, more than 2 Million Canadian travelers enter the United States through ports of entry in Jefferson and St. Lawrence counties. The continued closure of the Northern Border has contributed to significant revenue loss across a wide spectrum of businesses in both nations, but also presents significant logistical problems for those with interests on the other side of the border.\r\nSpecifically, Schumer requested that a binational agreement on reopening criteria be established and disclosed to the public without delay, allowing clarity and certainty for the thousands who have been displaced by the continued cycle of closure extensions. Such clarity, Schumer argued, would provide transparency, goals to meet and guide policy, and would eliminate the need for monthly extensions that have seemed arbitrary. \r\n Second, Schumer pushed for a re-evaluation and expansion of the essential travel designation. With New York vaccination rates going up every day, Schumer stated that American and Canadian citizens with familial, educational, medical, educational, and property interests should be considered essential travelers if they’ve undertaken their civic responsibility to get vaccinated. This push comes on the heels of reports that the Canadian government is considering levying an addition tax on under-utilized vacation properties, despite not allowing American property owners to access their Canadian properties. In most cases, American and Canadian citizens with vacation homes across the border have not been able to visit their properties since last March.\r\n Third, Schumer stressed the importance of recreational and commercial boating in the waters along the border. Currently, American and Canadian boaters are not able to cross the border by water, even if they have no intention of stopping at a port of entry. This practice, Schumer said, unfairly penalizes boaters who present no risk of COVID transmission.\r\n Finally, Schumer also urged Secretaries Blinken and Mayorkas to provide and any all necessary support to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and other federal personnel along the Northern Border. Schumer explained that no effective border policy can be implemented without ensuring proper vaccination, testing, and protective equipment for the federal employees managing the border and ensuring the continued flow of goods, services, and travelers. "}}

Filter events