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In Recent Months, Numerous Federal Court Records & Media Reports Have Highlighted Evidence of Fraud Committed by Private Engineering Firms In Their Assessment of Damage to Sandy-Impacted Homes, Which Led to Denial or Underpayment of Claims; FEMA is Currently In Midst of Efforts to Settle Approximately 1,200 Pending Lawsuits Schumer, Gillibrand Urge FEMA to Apply All Terms & Parameters of Pending Settlement to All Impacted Policyholders, Regardless of Whether or Not a Lawsuit Was Filed;... Read More

Schumer Says Making Tank Cars Stronger Is Critical Component to Safety, But Making The Actual Crude Oil Contained In Oil Cars Less Volatile Is Another Important Step That Feds Must Undertake – With Hundreds of Train Cars Filled With Crude Traveling Through NYS Each Day & Feds Estimating 10 Oil Train Derailments Per Year, Feds Must Do Even More To Keep People Safe Stabilizing Crude Would Make Deadly Explosions Less Likely Following A Derailment & Add Further Layer Of Protection For... Read More

Funding Provides Early Education for Children In Westchester and Rockland Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced more than $12 million in federal funding for early childhood education programs in Rockland and Westchester counties. The funding will be used to help underserved children from low-income families. Community organizations from across the state applied for the funding, and the award to three programs in the Hudson Valley will... Read More

U.S. Currently Allows American Residents Shopping in Canada to Bring Up to $200 Worth of Merchandise Purchased in Canada Back to U.S. Duty Free For Travel Lasting Less Than 48 Hours & Up to $800 for Travel Longer Than 48 Hours, But Canada’s Duty Free Policies Are Far Less Favorable Businesses in Buffalo, Plattsburgh, Watertown & Many Other Places in NYS Are Hurt By Canada’s Policy, Which Discourages Short Shopping Trips Across the Border – Senators Urge Canada to Bring... Read More

Dredging Is Needed Every Two Years for Harbor to Keep Pace, But Has Not Been on Routine Schedule since 2009 – Fully Dredged Harbor is Key for Commerce & Recreation; Barges Have Run Aground Before Due To Lack of Dredging Schumer Pushes to Secure Fed Funding As Part of FY2016 Budget – The Cost of Not Dredging the Rochester Harbor Could Mean a Loss of Commercial and Recreation Revenue & Could Put Local Jobs At Risk   Schumer: Fed Funds Are Needed To Keep Rochester Harbor... Read More

Administration Proposed Cutting $200 Million from HUD’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program In Upcoming Fiscal Year – Jamestown Receives Approximately $1.2 Million in Funding Each Year & It Is A Major Driver In Downtown Development CDBG Has Helped Jamestown Fund Transformational Development Plans Like Main Street Revitalization & Gateway Train Station, Make Buildings Like Prendergast Library Handicap Accessible, And Invested in Neighborhood Housing Initiatives... Read More

Village of Rhinebeck’s Asher Dam, Which Plays Critical Role in Controlling Water Levels At Crystal Lake in Dutchess County, Was Severely Damaged by Hurricane Irene & Tropical Strom Sandy; Dam’s Pedestrian Bridge Was Also Damaged And Needed Significant Repairs to Keep Residents, Tourists Safe The Village Made Substantial Repairs to Dam & Bridge in 2014 And Had Proceeded to Final Fed Funding Stage When FEMA Pulled Funds Back Due to Easily Corrected Administrative Error –... Read More

Unlike Convicted Felons & the Mentally Ill, Schumer Explains That Under Current Law, Known or Suspected Terrorists on Terrorist Watch Lists Can Legally Purchase Weapons & Explosives Anywhere in the United States Following Arrest in NYC of Three Would-Be Terrorists Inspired By ISIS - And FBI Director Revelation That He Has Homegrown Violent Extremist Investigations In Every Single State - Schumer Calls For Immediate Passage of Plan to Give Department of Justice the Authority to Prevent a... Read More

In November 2014, NYS Dept. of Environment Conservation Gave Northrop Grumman 30 Days to Sign an “Order of Consent” To Legally Accept Responsibility and Signal Participation in Clean Up With Bethpage Plume; Signed Consent is Now 3 Months Overdue Schumer Urges EPA to Step In & Issue “Unilateral Administrative Order” To Legally Force Northrop Grumman, Which Operated the Former Navy Site, to Help With Toxic Cleanup Process After three months of delay by Northrop Grumman... Read More

Astor Services for Children and Families, Inc. Will Use Funding to Continue to Provide Early Education Programs for Low-Income Children in Dutchess County U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $3,315,153 in federal funding for the Astor Services for Children and Families, Inc., a community-based agency in Rhinebeck. Schumer and Gillibrand said this funding will continue to support the organization’s efforts to improve education for low-income children at... Read More

African Burial Ground in Lower Manhattan Holds Remains of 20,000 Enslaved Africans & Early Generation Free African Americans Dating Back to a Time When Lower Manhattan Churchyards Were Off Limits to Black Africans Schumer, Gillibrand, Rangel, Nadler, Meeks, Clarke, Jeffries Call for Establishment of an African Burial Ground Memorial Museum & Education Center; Museum Will Pay Honor to Thousands of Individuals Buried at Site & Educate Visitors on Our History   Lawmakers: Museum... Read More

Officials at the National Endowment for The Humanities Are Schedule To Meet Next Week To Decide Fed Funding for A Wide Range of Projects, Including Sing Sing Museum Schumer Places Personal Phone Call to NEH Chairman toTout Merits of Project – Museum at Sing Sing Would Be One of The First at An Active Prison, Is Adjacent to Commuter Rail &Could Be A Major Tourist Destination For Decades To Come   Schumer: Like Alcatraz in San Francisco, Sing Sing Museum Would Provide A... Read More

Wind, Storm Surge & Coastal Flooding from Superstorm Sandy Damaged Crossovers Throughout Fire Island; Concrete Crossovers Are Used by Pedestrians & Emergency Vehicles Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $1.5 Million in FEMA Funding for Permanent Repairs to Concrete Crossovers Within the Town of Brookhaven; Funding Will Also Be Used on Mitigation Measures to Help Prevent Future Destruction of Crossovers   U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced over... Read More

“Defending Our Great Lakes Act” Would Promote Collaborative Water Quality and Flood Mitigation Projects to Keep Asian Carp Out of the Great Lakes – Asian Carp Would Completely Destroy Native Fish Populations Legislation Would Specifically Target Asian Carp at Illinois Dam, Which Could Become the Main Entry Point For Invasive Species   Schumer: We Must Stop This Invasive Species Before It Reaches Our Precious Great Lakes   Today, U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer announced... Read More

 Town of Marshall in Oneida County to Use Funds to Upgrade Bridge to Enhance Resiliency & Protect Area from Future Flooding Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced $2,737,500 in federal funding for the Town of Marshall in Oneida County to upgrade and scour the flood-prone bridge over the Oriskany Creek on Buell Avenue. These funds, which are being awarded as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program... Read More

Town of Keene in Essex County to Use Funds to Upgrade Bridge to Maintain Vital Transit Link During Emergencies, Enhance Resiliency & Protect Area from Future Flooding Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced $3,472,000 in federal funding for the Town of Keene in Essex County to upgrade and scour the flood-prone bridge over the East Branch Ausable River on Route 73. These funds, which are being awarded as part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s... Read More

Schumer Urged U.S. Army Corps to Work with West Seneca to Develop Plan to Install Ice Control Devices in Buffalo Creek Following Numerous Ice Jams That Flooded Hundreds of Homes Army Corps Has Agreed To Execute Ice Jam Study in West Seneca & Identify Potential Solutions – This is An Important Step Toward Preventing Constant Struggle Local Homeowners Face Each Winter   Schumer to Army Corps: Ice Jam Study is A Good Start; Must Lead to Action   U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer... Read More

Visiting Nurse Association of LI Provides Approximately 500 Patients With Valuable Health Services & Is Currently In Dire Financial Straits; Organization Applied & For Over a Year Has Been Awaiting Federal Approval for Over $1 Million in Supplemental Medicaid Funds Schumer Urges Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services to Quickly Approve Application for Pending Funds for Visiting Nurse Association of LI; Without These Funds, Organization Will Be Hard Pressed to Stay Afloat in the... Read More

Schumer-Authored Tax Credit Already Provides A Major Boost For Middle Class Families Across Upstate NY, But New Bill Would Grow Annual Savings to $3,000 Per Year & Extend Maximum Lifetime Credit to $15K – For Every $1 Spent on College Tuition, Families Could Get $1 Off On Taxes, Up To $3K A Year New Bill Would Also Make Families Earning Up to $200K Eligible; Current Credit Only Eligible For Families Making Less Than $180K – New York Families Save Over $1B Per Year With Tax... Read More

Immediately Following Sandy, NYC’s Rapid Repairs Program Paid for Contractors to Help Sandy-Impacted Homeowners Make Emergency Repairs to Their Homes Before Permanent Repairs Could Take Place Schumer, Gillibrand, de Blasio Announce Millions in FEMA Funding to Reimburse the NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection Which Funded the Rapid Repairs Program  U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced over $116 million in federal funding to... Read More