Press Releases
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US Senator Charles E. Schumer today asked US Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton to reopen the Statue of Liberty's Crown to visitors and sightseers, not just the base of the statue. In an interview on NBC's Today show this morning, the Secretary promised that the public will be allowed to climb the 354 steps to the statue's crown. But Secretary Norton did not repeat that promise in her official remarks at the Statue. Schumer today asked the Secretary to reconfirm her commitment to... Read More
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October 30, 2006
Schumer To Host Buffalo Officials In NYC Friday To Discuss New Model For Buffalo's Outer Harbor Revival
US Senator Charles Schumer Friday will host a delegation of Buffalo elected and economic development officials at Battery Park City in Manhattan on Friday to discuss how the Battery Park City project can serve as a model for Buffalo's outer harbor redevelopment efforts. Schumer and the Buffalo officials will meet with the Battery Park City authority and tour the site of the Battery Park City project. "A Buffalo version of Battery Park City would have this area buzzing with... Read More -
October 30, 2006
Schumer: Ashcroft & Fbi Falling Way Short In War On Terrorism; Failed To Take Adequate Corrective Action Even After 9/11
In the war on terrorism, John Ashcroft has frequently gone overboard when dealing with liberties, but hasnt even gotten the ship out of port when it comes to administration, coordination, technology, and funding, Schumer said. Thirtyone months after 9/11, the FBIs computer system is still an unmitigated disaster, were woefully short on appropriately trained analysts and translators, and the Administration steadfastly refuses to adequately fund the war on terror. Its simply indefensible that the... Read More -
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on President Bush to use his clout with the House of Representatives to secure passage of urgentlyneeded legislation in the war on terror. The bill, which is sponsored by Senators Schumer and John Kyl (RAZ) and passed the Senate 904 nearly a year ago, would give the FBI the power to get foreign intelligence surveillance warrants on lone wolf terrorists who cannot be linked to existing terror groups. The hearings before the 9/11 Commission have made it... Read More
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In an attempt to reassure the financially struggling airline, US Senator Charles Schumer today urged Delta Air Lines to bring its air service to the ElmiraCorning Regional Airport in New York. Schumer, who successfully brought JetBlue to upstate New York, said adding the flights would not only offer residents greater travel options and provide businesses incentives to locate in the Southern Tier, but it could provide Delta with potential for new growth. "Bringing Delta's service to... Read More
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October 30, 2006
Schumer Visits Oswegatchie River & Discusses New Federal Funds He Helped Obtain To Fix Collapsed Retaining Wall
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today visited the Oswegatchie River to see firsthand the collapsed retaining wall that he helped obtain federal funds to repair. Part of the retaining wall has fallen into the river and the wall threatens to damage the state Route 812 bridge. Schumer and Rep. McHugh spent the last two weeks successfully urging the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDANRCS) State Conservationist Joseph DelVecchio to approve St. Lawrence... Read More -
October 27, 2006
Schumer Unveils New "Us Homeland Security Signal Corps" So New York Cops, Firefighters & Emts Can Communicate At Terror Sites
Standing on a Manhattan block where FDNY Ladder and Engine Companies share a common wall with an NYPD precinct, US Senator Charles E. Schumer today unveiled a new proposal to create a new US Homeland Security Signal Corps a model program funded with $50 million from the Federal government to create a specialized regiment of police, firefighters, EMTs, and other emergency personnel whose only job is to guarantee that first responders can communicate with one another, headquarters and the public... Read More -
October 27, 2006
Schumer: More Than $1.3 Million Coming To Local Police Departments For New Bulletproof Vests
US Senator Charles E. Schumer announced today that police departments across New York State have secured more than $1.3 million from the US Department of Justice's Bulletproof Vest Partnership, a program Schumer cosponsored that splits the cost of new body armor with localities. Over the last year, Schumer had repeatedly reached out to police departments statewide, urging them to apply for these funds and guiding them through application process. "This funding will ensure that the men... Read More -
October 27, 2006
Schumer: Save Program That Has Added Over 3,000 Cops To Upstate NY
The program that has added over 3,000 police officers to patrol Upstate New York since 1994 would be decimated if the Administration's current budget proposal is approved, US Senator Charles E. Schumer warned today. Schumer, one of the original authors of the 1994 legislation creating the COPS program, today urged Congress and the White House to save the program by restoring full funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Grant Program, which has sent upstate police... Read More -
October 27, 2006
Us Senate Passes Schumer Sickle Cell Bill To Provide New Sickle Cell Research Center And 40 Local Clinics
US Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the US Senate last night passed his legislation to increase research and improve treatment of Sickle Cell Disease. The bill, which Schumer cosponsored with Senator Jim Talent (RMO), was included in the the JumpStart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Bill that passed by a 92 to 5 vote late last night. This bill will provide a major boost for the health care of thousands of people. Thats why it won such broad and bipartisan support in a Senate where,... Read More -
October 27, 2006
Schumer: Second Corrections Official With Checkered Record Put In Power Position At Iraqi Prisons
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today revealed that a second prison official in Iraq has a troubling history of defending prisoner abuse and called on Attorney General John Ashcroft to immediately initiate an investigation of all crimes committed by civilian contractors in the Iraqi prison system. Schumer discovered that John Armstrong, was forced from his post as the head of Connecticuts corrections department for defending abuses of prisoners but now serves in a highranking management position... Read More -
October 27, 2006
Schumer Gets "Green Bonds" For Destiny Mega-Mall Project In Syracuse Added To Senate Tax Bill
US Senator Charles Schumer today announced that he brokered a bipartisan arrangement that moves the DestinyNY megamall in Syracuse deal closer to completion. A measure that Schumer requested to place taxexempt "green bonds" that would help finance the project took a major step forward Wednesday night, as the Senate passed an amendment adding them to a pending international tax bill. "This is very good news for Destiny," Schumer said. "It bodes very well for green bonds.... Read More -
October 27, 2006
Justice Dept Agrees To Schumer's Parmalat Probe; Will Gauge How Sale Of Company Could Impact New York's Dairy Farmers
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the US Department of Justice has agreed to a request he made six weeks ago and has already launched an antitrust investigation into the proposed sale of milk giant Parmalat. Schumer had asked the Justice Department in late March to closely monitor the potential impact on New York farm prices of a sale of Parmalat to one of the existing large New York milk suppliers before approving any deal. Schumer was concerned that if Parmalat were sold to... Read More -
October 27, 2006
Schumer: Parmalat Decision To Not Sell U.S. Assets Both Preserves Competition For Farmers And Helps Prevent Milk Price Hikes
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the danger of a single company controlling as much as 80 or 90 percent of the New York milk market now appears to be averted because Farmland Dairies and Parmalat USA announced that they would restructure their bankrupt American operations rather than sell the company to a competitor. Last week, the US Department of Justice revealed it had already launched an antitrust investigation Schumer had requested that was assessing the potential impact... Read More -
October 27, 2006
Senators To HHS Secretary Thompson: Government Drug Price Negotiation Should Be Used More Broadly
Washington, DCU.S. Senators Tim Johnson (DSD) and Charles Schumer (DNY) today requested that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) work with Congress to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs in the Medicare program. The Senators urged Secretary Tommy G. Thompsons assistance in repealing language in the Medicare prescription drug benefit law that expressly prohibits the Secretary from negotiating lower drug prices. Secretary Thompson recently approved a plan that will allow 5... Read More -
October 26, 2006
Schumer: Ulster County Middle Income Housing Shortages Reaching Crisis Levels - Unveils Major Plan To Make Housing Affordable
US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced a major new housing plan to vastly expand access to middle income housing in Ulster County where the median price of buying a new house has skyrocketed by 39 percent over the last two years. Schumer detailed a $300 million expansion of an alreadyoversubscribed Fannie Mae initiative that lets middle income families in the New York metropolitan area purchase homes with down payments as low as $500. "We all know that middle income housing has been... Read More -
October 26, 2006
Schumer, Clinton Secure $250,000 For Oswegos East Side System
US Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that they have secured $250,000 towards the implementation of the Citys East Side combined sewer overflow (CSO) Long Term Control Program. The funding was included in the Fiscal Year 2004 Omnibus Appropriations Bill conference report passed today by the Senate. "Oswego is a beautiful city dependent on its waterfront for its economic and cultural life," Schumer said. "We need to do everything we can to... Read More -
October 26, 2006
Schumer: Jamestown Airport To Receive $2 Million
Safe and dependable air service is a critical engine of Western New York's continued economic growth, said Schumer. This funding will allow Chautauqua County Jamestown Airport to acquire new technology needed to make the necessary improvements to meet today's modern aviation demands. Chautauqua County Jamestown Airport will use the grant to improve the runway safety areas that do not comply with current FAA requirements and bring them in compliance with current standards. In June of last... Read More -
US Senator Charles Schumer said a new plan announced by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today in response to the MyDoom virus falls short and outlined a series of measures to improve federal efforts to combat viruses and cyberattacks. Schumer said DHS' emailbased warning system would likely lead to more viruses and lacks mandatory reporting requirements. "What DHS did today was essentially challenge computer hackers all over the world to put a virus into an email that mimics... Read More
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October 26, 2006
Schumer Measure To Penalize USDA For Mismanagement Of Price Support Payments Passes Congress
Because of USDA mismanagement, dairy farmers in Capital Region lost $2.7 million since 2001; Central NY $3.5m; Hudson Valley $1m; North Country $6.4m; Rochester/Finger Lakes $2.9m; Southern Tier $4.5m; Western NY $4.1m US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that his effort to penalize the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) whenever it mismanages a price support program for New York's dairy farmers passed the Senate today. Last month, Schumer revealed that the USDA has shortchanged... Read More