Newsroom

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today vowed to fight to lower prices for New Yorkers who are already paying more than 21 cents per gallon more for gas than last year, as analysts warn another 24 cent hike could be just around the corner. Schumer today unveiled a new study showing that the average New York family with two cars is paying $255 more this year than last year and is leading a bipartisan coalition of Senators in calling on the Administration to release stored government oil reserves... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today introduced federal legislation to reverse plans for a passport requirement at the USCanada border. Schumer filed an Amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill, mandating that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accept more affordable and accessible alternatives to passports. A vote on the amendment is expected this week during consideration of the overall bill on the floor. Passage of the overall bill is expected sometime this... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer, Senate Leaders Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, and Debbie Stabenow today unveiled a new Social Security calculator that demonstrates to Americans what they could lose under the Bush Privatization Plan. The calculator is now available on the websites of most Senate Democrats. The Democratic Leadership team also announced that Senate Democrats are going to take it back to their states as a tool to be used during public events and meetings throughout the upcoming Senate... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Town of Chateaugay was awarded a $79,100 grant and a $35,000 loan to assist in replacing the water system infrastructure and a $371,200 grant and a $50,000 loan to assist in constructing a new sewage treatment plan. The funds are being awarded through the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development program as a Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant. "This is great news for the Town of Chateaugay,"... Read More

Senator Charles E. Schumer and Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy today announced a new effort to secure federal funding for a 311call system that Suffolk County residents can use for nonemergencies not covered by the county's 911emergency call system. "Establishing a communication management system in Suffolk County is a winwin situation. It frees up 911, ensuring it is only used for emergencies. The 311 system will provide residents with a much needed resource for any nonemergency... Read More

Today, Senators Charles Schumer (DNY) and Susan Collins (RME) were joined by thirteen colleagues from both sides of the aisle in sending a letter to Secretary Condoleezza Rice to express appreciation for the Department of States 2004 designation of Saudi Arabia as a country of particular concern (CPC) for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. The Senators also expressed a strong desire to see the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia defined... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that $1.1 million in federal funds was awarded to the Greater Glens Falls Development Corporation to assist in the funding of a business incubator and education facility. The funds are being awarded through the Economic Development Administration's Public Works Program in the U.S. Department of Commerce. "This is great news for Glens Falls and the entire region," Schumer said. "The business incubator and education facility will... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer announced today that he secured a measure that would allocate $50 million for the next generation of homeland screening technology, a move that means SureScan will be one of a few companies able to compete for this money once they are certified by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Schumer, who first brought the TSA to meet with SureScan in 2003, lobbied aggressively for inclusion of the language in the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations bill... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer urged New York States Department of Labor today to immediately release extended unemployment insurance and job retraining benefits to those who lost their jobs at MT Picture Display. Schumer wrote a letter to New York State Commissioner of Labor to Linda Angello, calling on her to release funds due to workers so they can support their families and advance their job searches. In his letter, Schumer seeks answers on behalf of the workers, including how workers should... Read More

U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer, Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, and Debbie Stabenow sent a letter today urging President Bush, Senator Frist, and Speaker Hastert to immediately denounce a number of inflammatory comments made by conservative leaders openly threatening sitting judges. Many of these remarks, some by sitting members of Congress others by conservative leaders, might be misused to provide unstable individuals some justification for using violence against judges who dont rule in their... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that a $221,000 grant was awarded to the Village of Margaretville to assist in locating additional well supply. The funds are being awarded through the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development program as a Emergency Community Water Assistance Grant (ECWAG). "This is great news for the Village of Margaretville," Schumer said. "The water system is critical to the livelihood of the community and the health of... Read More

US Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Rodham Clinton today announced that Plattsburgh International Airport has been awarded over $1.6 Million in federal funds for the airport to continue Phase II rehabilitation work on its runway. The funds are listed in the Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies Appropriations section of the Fiscal Year 2005 Omnibus Appropriations bill. This is great news for the entire North Country," said Schumer. "The Plattsburgh International... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced federal legislation to reverse plans for a passport requirement at the USCanada border has been accepted the Senate. Schumer supported a bipartisan Amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations bill, sponsored by Senator Byron Dorgan (DND) mandating that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cannot exclusively require passports for entry into the United States. Passage of the overall bill is expected tonight, at which time the... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer led the push in Congress for an aggressive investigation into the leaking of the identity of C.I.A. officer, Valerie Plame. Schumer called for an immediate investigation into the CIA leak and ensured that Jim Comey appointed an independent prosecutor, Fitzgerald. He also called for Alberto Gonzales and John Ashcroft to recuse themselves from the case. He released the following statement today in reaction to reports the Roves attorney denies any wrongdoing by his... Read More

Standing at the site of one potentially cancercausing MTBE spill like the dozens that threaten the environment and public health in the Rochester area, Senator Charles E. Schumer released a new list of MTBE hotspots. The previously undisclosed list of MTBE spills in Monroe County identifies threats to residential homes, commercial properties, and water supply sources. If a specific special interest provision included in the Energy Bill passed by the House is not removed, the enormous cleanup... Read More

Standing at the site of one potentially cancercausing MTBE spill like the dozens that threaten the environment and public health in the Capital Region, Senator Charles E. Schumer released a new list of MTBE hotspots. The previously undisclosed list of MTBE spills in the Capital Region identifies threats to residential homes, commercial properties, water supply wells, and the Hudson River. If a specific special interest provision included in the Energy Bill passed by the House is not removed, the... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that $1,277,920 in federal funds for the New York City Leadership Academy. The funds are coming as part of the Department of Educations School Leadership Program. The New York City Leadership Academy is part of the New York City Leadership Initiative which works to provide rigorous pathways for leadership recruitment, preparation and mentoring for New York City schools. Here in New York where we have such large and diverse schools, it is critical we... Read More

Today, the Treasury Department submitted its twice annual currency exchange report to the Senate Banking Committee. The report, two months overdue, does not say that China is guilty of currency manipulation, which is contrary to what most economists and the U.S. Congress, including Senators Charles E. Schumer (DN.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (RSC) have argued for years. On the heels of this report, Senators Schumer and Graham will introduce the Currency Manipulation Definition Bill. This bipartisan... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $200,000 for Veterans Outreach Center in Rochester under the FY06 Transportation, Treasury, HUD Appropriations Act. The federal funds will go to renovate and expand the centers employment, job training, and counseling facilities that have become overcrowded due to increasing demand for services. The bill must now be approved by the full Senate before being sent to a House and Senate Conference... Read More

Schumer: We Will Not Allow Washington to Play Retirement Roulette US Senator Charles E. Schumer, unveiling a new Social Security web calculator, demonstrated how much Lower Hudson Valley residents stand to lose under the Administrations proposal to privatize Social Security. Joined by Westchester residents who input their year of birth and average income, Schumer released a new program that computes a sidebyside personal comparison of the Bush Privatization Plan and the current Social Security... Read More