Newsroom

Today members of the Democratic Senate Leadership sent President Bush a letter asking him to consult with members of both political parties before submitting judicial nominations. The letter, signed by Senators Harry Reid, Dick Durbin, Debbie Stabenow, and written and signed by Chuck Schumer, said that consultation with the minority and with moderate Republicans will be a critical component of avoiding another serious Senate showdown on judges. Sen. Schumer stated, The agreement is a shot across... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the Bush Administration to fully fund the Veterans Administration (VA) health care system and other services, including budgeting sufficient funding for New York's VA hospitals. In light of recent reports indicating the Administration may intend to freeze funding for most discretionary programs, including the VA budget, Schumer warned that with factoring in inflation and population growth, this freeze amounts to cuts in funding for veterans services... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that he successfully persuaded the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to endorse a reduced US plaza in its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), moving Shared Border Management at the Peace Bridge another step closer to completion. This move was in response to a letter and phone call from Schumer to Federal Highway Administrator Mary Peters urging the FHWA, the lead agency in the federal process that oversees the bridge expansion project,... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer visited Canandaigua to present Sonnenberg Mansion & Gardens with a check for $370,000 for repairs and restorations to the historic Victorian estate. Schumer, who secured funding in the Fiscal Year 2005 Omnibus appropriation bill, joined Sonnenberg supporters and local officials to discuss the vital restorations to one of the most popular landmarks in the Finger Lakes area. Sonnenberg Mansion and Gardens is a wonderful part of Canandiaguas rich history and a... Read More

New York farmers are paying 35 percent more to operate their farms, Senator Charles E. Schumer revealed today. Schumer unveiled a new study showing that the average New York farmer is paying more than $2,500 over 2002 costs and called on the Administration to release stored government oil reserves that would quickly lower gas prices. Schumer also urged the FTC to block the ChevronTexacoUnocal merger and to review the ExxonMobil merger and the ChevronTexaco mergers to asses their impact on... Read More

Today Sen. Charles Schumer reacted to reports that our trade deficit with China hit $162 billion, up over 30% from 2003. Many economists believe that the highly devalued Chinese currency, the Yuan, has helped make this possible. As China continues to peg its currency and the US trade deficit with China reaches these record levels, Senators Schumer and Lindsey Graham (RSC) recently unveiled legislation to impose an acrossthe board tariff on Chinese imports in an effort to address China's... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that $15,848 has been awarded to the City of Jamestown by the U.S. Department of Justices Office of Justice Programs (OJP) under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. The federal funds will be used for crime control and prevention programs. When it comes to protecting our citizens, we need to be tough on crime and smart on prevention," Schumer said. These much needed funds will help to bring the quality people and... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced $5,200,700 for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The funding will be used for a DHS pilot program, Operation Safe Commerce, which is working to secure cargo at major ports around the country. I am very pleased to announce this funding for Operation Safe Commerce, Schumer said. The cargo entering our nations ports is among our greatest vulnerabilities, especially here in New York, and this program will allow our bustling ports to more... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $250,000 under the FY06 Interior Appropriations Act for Mohawk Valley Water Authority in Utica to develop and enhance methods to detect water bacteria, a critical component of emergency preparedness. The bill must now be approved by the full Senate before being sent to a House and Senate Conference Committee and eventually being signed into law. Schumer aggressively lobbied members of the... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumers amendment passed the Senate last night, requiring the federal government to establish efficiency standards for the replacement tires that drivers buy when the old tires wear out. Most current replacement tires are between 20 and 60 percent less efficient than the original tires automakers equip cars with to help meet federal fuel economy standards. Schumer introduced the amendment last Tuesday to the Energy Bill, which just passed the Senate 8512. This is great... Read More

Standing at the site of a potentially cancercausing MTBE spill like the ones that threaten dozens of drinking water wells on Long Island, today, US Senator Charles E. Schumer released a new list of MTBE hotspots that are adjacent to or on top of public drinking water supply wells. The previously undisclosed list of MTBE spills that have taken place near Long Island has been made available to the state but not to the public. And, if specific special interest provisions are included in the Energy... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer pressed the new nominee for Veterans Administration Secretary, Jim Nicholson, to support the community advisory board currently deciding the fate of the Canandaigua VA Hospital. Schumer, who convinced Secretary Anthony Principi to involve local community leaders in the decision process, said that the panel was carefully constructed to include the views of local veterans and community members, and disrupting the panel would be counterproductive. Nicholson agreed to... Read More

Today US Senator Charles E. Schumer announced $5,966,407 in funding for Americorps programs in New York City and Brooklyn. The grant is being awarded by the Corporation for National and Community Service. AmeriCorps is one of the world's greatest service programs and this funding will go a long way, not just for the members who will serve, but for the younger people and families who will benefit from the hard work and dedication of the program and its volunteers, Schumer said. The quality... Read More

Today U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer announced his opposition to the Energy Bill passed by the U.S. Senate, saying the bill was a step backwards for the environment, taxpayers, and national security. The bill passed by a vote of 7426 today after passing the House last night. Schumer said Americas refusal to seriously address our dependence on foreign oil was a mistake of historic proportions. Our refusal to understand and see ahead of the curve and say we're going to avoid this energy problem... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer late Wednesday urged the Director of Park Service to expeditiously release the Niagara Falls Heritage Area Resource study. Schumer secured $300,000 for the study, which has explored the feasibility of creating a National Heritage Partnership in Niagara Falls. This "special resource" study is the first step toward gaining a National Heritage Area designation for the area, a status that would enable the National Park Service to assist local efforts to... Read More

Today U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, ranking Democrat on the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Courts, sent a letter to President George W. Bush to ask for cooperation in ensuring a smooth process leading to the upcoming confirmation hearing for Judge John G. Roberts to the Supreme Court, which is only a month away [September 6, 2005]. The Judiciary Committee sent a request letter nine days ago to the White House detailing specific Roberts files, but there has been no response, timetable, or documents... Read More

Standing outside the Thomas Jefferson Memorial today, Senators Reid, Schumer, Clinton, Kennedy, Boxer and other members of the Senate Democratic Caucus presented a united front to fight an attempt to undo 200 years of American history and urge Republican Senators to preserve checks and balances by voting against the nuclear option. Sen. Frist has already rejected a compromise that would have allowed the President to claim victory on more judicial nominees giving him an almost 100% passage rate... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that a $220,000 grant and a $980,000 loan was awarded to the Village of Laurens to assist in replacing the water distribution system. 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 Village of Laurens," Schumer said. "The water system is critical to the livelihood of the community and the... Read More

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today unveiled a new proposal to support volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service (EMS) providers in Rochester/Finger Lakes region. Joined by volunteer firefighters who shared their recruitment struggles, Schumer announced his legislation, the Supporting Emergency Responders Volunteer Efforts (SERVE) Act to offer a $1,000 tax credit for active members of volunteer firefighting and EMS organizations. Schumer specifically addressed the recruitment and... Read More

Standing inside one of Amtraks busiest stations in the country, US Senator Charles E. Schumer today joined local community and business leaders to launch an allout push to stop the Bush Administration from shutting down Amtrak. The Presidents budget which was recently sent to Congress includes no money for Amtraks operating expenses and would effectively shut Amtrak down on October 1, the first day of the US Governments fiscal year. The more you learn about the new Budget, the more you feel like... Read More