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U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer released the following statement as followup to his meeting yesterday with Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson: I spoke with Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and emphasized the importance of keeping the Bills in Buffalo and protecting smallmarket teams. He said he wants to do both of those things, and well be meeting shortly to discuss how to move forward. In the meantime, Ive spoken with Tim Russert who will help us with this effort, and Ill be reaching out to other... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer released the following statement regarding the new record trade deficit numbers reported by the U.S. Census. The U.S. trade deficit for 2005 was $726 billion, a 17.5% increase from the record set in 2004. The trade deficit is now about 6% of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP). Schumer said, These exploding trade deficit numbers are not a sign of strength; they are a sign of weakness. They indicate a slow bleeding at the wrists economically for the United... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced a bipartisan campaign for an additional $2.92 billion for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as part of an emergency spending bill. Schumer, joining a coalition of Democratic and Republican Senators urged, the Senate Leadership to take immediate action on the emergency designation funding. So far New York State has received approximately $263 million, and this additional funding could bring the total to an estimated $471 million for... Read More

Today Senator Charles E. Schumer, Senator Robert Menendez and Congressman Anthony Weiner called on the National Parks Service to reopen the Statue of Liberty by July 4th. Lady Liberty was shut down, like other monuments following September 11th and has since only been partially reopened. Visitors are still prohibited from climbing up to the Crown, one of the monuments most popular attractions. Americas symbol of freedom has sadly become a symbol of fear, Schumer said. When I was a child my... Read More

Today, Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the Federal Aviation Administration has approved significant funding for a new air traffic control tower at LaGuardia Airport. Schumer said the new tower will help ease crippling flight delays at the airport and help controllers manage traffic on the runways in order to prevent more near aircraft collisions. Schumer has been actively lobbying the FAA to make the new tower a priority and wrote to Department of Transportation Secretary Mineta last... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today introduced legislation to allow the Supreme Court to rule on the National Security Agencys secret spying program. Schumer, who has been critical of the Administration for not consulting with Congress before enacting the program, said his legislation would put the controversial spying program on the fast track to Supreme Court consideration so the nations highest tribunal can definitively decide on the constitutionality and legality of the program. This is... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer today announced that they have teamed up to support legislation to stop the shipment of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco through the U.S. Mail. At a joint news conference with Spitzer, held at New Yorks historic Farley Post Office, Schumer announced his bill that would prohibit mailing cigarettes through the United States Postal Service, impose fines of at least $1,000 per offense and jail time for repeat... Read More

Today, U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Chuck Schumer addressed the recent escape of Al Qaeda prisoners from a prison in Yemen, one of whom is the mastermind of the terrorist attacks on the USS Cole. Schumer is sending a letter to President Bush urging him to investigate this matter immediately by inspecting and evaluating all foreign prisons where Al Qaeda members are being held. The letter it is below: February 7, 2006 The Honorable George W. Bush President The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave... Read More

Today, Senators Chuck Schumer (DNY), Norm Coleman (RMN), Bob Menendez (DNJ), Olympia Snowe (RME), Hillary Clinton (DNY), Susan Collins (RME), Tom Coburn (ROK), Jack Reed (DRI), Rick Santorum (RPA), and Frank Lautenberg (DNJ) sent a letter to Senate Leaders Bill Frist and Harry Reid urging them to cooperate in efforts to make sure that the security investigation of the Dubai ports deal meets the highest standards for protecting our national security. While a 45day investigation has finally been... Read More

Today all eight Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter urging him to call on more current and former high level Bush Administration officials including former Attorney General John Ashcroft, Deputy Attorneys General Jim Comey and Larry Thompson, and White House Chief of Staff Andy Card. Schumer and Feingold had previously sent a letter calling on Chairman Specter to expand and diversify the witness list so that the... Read More

Last week, amid reports of the growing scope of an under regulated tissue transplant industry, Senator Schumer wrote to the Food and Drug Administration calling for stronger regulatory oversight for tissue transplants and an accounting of how exactly contaminated tissue was transplanted into otherwise healthy patients. Since the FDA has not adequately responded to this problem, today Schumer unveiled legislation to properly regulate the tissue transplant industry. Schumer stood with Patricia... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer sent a letter to Fred Wilpon, owner of the New York Mets, calling on him to name the new stadium scheduled to be built for the New York Mets after the late Jackie Roosevelt Robinson. Schumer said that Jackie Robinsons contributions to the game of baseball, the City of New York, and our country deserve a grand living and permanent monument. The Mets are the direct inheritors of the Brooklyn Dodgers baseball tradition and there is no better way to honor... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and Assemblyman Michael C. Cusick today announced legislation that would allow the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) to link existing MTA bus lines to New Jersey Transits HudsonBergen Light Rail lines station at 34th street in Bayonne, NJ. Staten Islanders suffer from the longest commutes, and worst traffic in this city. A buslink between the North Shore of Staten Island and the Bayonne Transit hub is a nobrainer its cheap, its easy, it will cut commuting times... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today launched an effort to restore funding for the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) Program for communities in New York State, which is slashed in the Administrations budget proposal for fiscal year 2007. The CDBG Program is one of the most important and effective programs for revitalizing distressed communities and funds housing rehabilitation, support services, public improvements, and economic development projects in communities across the nation. The... Read More

Today Senator Schumer released the following statement on the Department of Transportation requesting funding for East Side Access and the Second Avenue Subway: This funding shows that the Administration and the Department of Transportation have renewed their commitment to seeing these critical New York projects through until they are built. Both East Side Access and the Second Avenue Subway will meet commuter needs that have existed for far too long here in New York. These funds will help Long... Read More

As gas prices jumped 28.5 cents a gallon in the last three weeks alone, today U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the Federal Government to ensure that oil companies dont intentionally drive up prices before the summer months to increase their bottom line. Today Schumer sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission to urge them to closely monitor refining capacity and prices, which could rise even more as more Americans increase their travel this spring and summer. The Senator expressed... Read More

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer sent the following letter President Bush with a list of unanswered questions that must be answered about the Dubai Ports World acquisition of six major U.S. ports on the East Coast, including New York and New Jersey. This $6.8 billion deal is scheduled to be closed on March 2 and was approved by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) last month, although the President wasnt aware of it until after the approval. Except for cargo screening... Read More

Today, 31 Democrats led by Sen. Chuck Schumer sent the following letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales urging him to recuse himself from the Abramoff case. Below is the letter and signatories. Schumer stated, If there was ever a case that was both sensitive and rife with potential conflict it is this one. The Attorney General can avoid any appearance of impropriety by recusing himself. February 16, 2006 The Honorable Alberto Gonzales United States Department of Justice 950 Pennsylvania... Read More

Today, Sen. Chuck Schumer sent the following letter to President Bush regarding the latest revelations that the government may be tracking journalists phone calls. In light of the governments warrantless wiretapping program and database of all Americans phone calls, Schumer called on the President to answer a series of questions about the validity of this possible program. The letter is below: May 16, 2006 President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC... Read More

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Hillary Clinton today announced $2,565,000 for the Greater Binghamton Airport from the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This is great news for the Greater Binghamton Airport, said Senator Schumer. This airport welcome travelers to New York each year, and these improvements are important for local businesses and strengthening the local economy. I will continue to fight for... Read More