Charles E. Schumer

Unveils New Plan To Make Credit Reporting Companies Advertising 'Free' Credit Reports Actually Give You A Credit Report For Free - Bust Up Scam Once And For All

November 3, 2009 -- Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced he is urging the Federal Trade Commission to bust up the long-running scam of credit reporting companies duping millions of New Yorkers into buying credit monitoring services by offering a so-called “free credit report” and then tacking on a costly monthly subscriptions charge that can cost hundreds of dollars a year.    » read more »

Bill, Supported By White House and Media; Organizations, Addresses National Security Concerns and Creates a Legal Protection for Journalists Guarding Sources' Anonymity

October 30, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Arlen Specter (D-PA) today released a revised version of the Free Flow of Information Act which has received backing from the White House and the newspaper industry. The bill includes new provisions that further protect national security interests while providing legal protection for journalists guarding the anonymity of their sources.    » read more »

Federal Dollars Will Clean Up Great Lakes, Reduce Beach Closures, Boost Economic Development & Tourism

October 29, 2009 -- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the 2010 Interior Appropriations will include $475 million for President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to clean up the Great Lakes and Rochester’s beaches and allow the area’s tourism and fishing industry to thrive.    » read more »

October 16, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) urged the Federal Reserve Friday to take a tougher approach on overdraft fees that banks impose on their customers, expressing fear that the regulator’s planned crackdown on the abusive practice won’t go far enough and adding that the Fed’s slowness to act on the issue shows the need for a new consumer watchdog agency.    » read more »

Levels of Benzene Found in Tonawanda's Air as High as 75 Times the Amount Allowed in NYS, Posing a Real and Present Threat to Residents' Health

October 14, 2009 -- Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer demanded owner and CEO of the Tonawanda Coke Corporation meet with community groups and listen – in person – to their complaints about the pollution coming from the Tonawanda facility and to explore potential solutions.

In a letter to Schumer, Crane wrote that the type of allegations being made against the Tonawanda coke plant “cannot be sustained when viewed in the clear light of supportable facts, science and analysis,” and blamed the elevated benzene levels on automobile traffic.    » read more »

Under 1945 Law, Insurance Industry Among Only Handful Of Industries -- Like Major League Baseball and Railroads -- To Be Exempt From Federal Antitrust Laws

October 14, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC—Days after the health insurance industry openly declared it will use the emerging health care reform overhaul as an excuse to raise premiums on millions of Americans, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) urged Wednesday that the legislation should include a new provision to revoke the industry’s anti-trust exemption.    » read more »

Projects At Facility Will Create Jobs & Stimulate Local Economy; Department of Energy Grant Would Allow Ontario County to Develop Array of Renewable Energy Projects

October 13, 2009 -- Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced he has written to the Department of Energy in support of an application submitted by Ontario County for funding under the Community Renewable Energy Deployment Grant Program. The funding will enable Ontario County to transform the Ontario County Landfill into a renewable energy production and educational facility.    » read more »

Overturning Bush Administration Precedent

In January 2008, Despite Widespread Support from NYS and Local Officials and Community Leaders, Then-Secretary of Interior Dirk Kempthorne Denied Applications for All Pending Off-Reservation Casinos, Including Those in Catskills

October 13, 2009 -- Today U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand wrote to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, asking him to consider the pending applications for off reservation gambling in the Catskills on a case by case basis, and overturn the blanket ban established by his predecessor Dirk Kempthorne.    » read more »

Says Deal Needs 'Additional Scrutiny' From Consumers And Congress

October 9, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), the Chairman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, raised new concerns Friday over Diebold’s proposed sale of its voting machine business to its biggest competitor, and announced that his Rules Committee staff would begin a formal review of potential problems posed by the merger.

Schumer announced he would be seeking input from state and local election officials to investigate the deal’s impacts on the administration of elections across the United States. The findings will be compiled into a public report that could be shared with the Department of Justice.    » read more »

Major Boost For High Threat Areas, Transit, And Ports; House and Senate Set to Approve DHS Funding Bill Next Weeks

October 9, 2009 -- (New York, NY) – In light of Najibullah Zazi’s efforts to stage a terrorist attack against New York City's mass transit system, U.S. Representative Joseph Crowley and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced today that New York City is in line to receive millions in additional security funding to protect our city against terrorist attacks.    » read more »

Funding Will Benefit the Northeast Solar Workforce Training Project in Troy; Schumer, Gillibrand: Funding Will Add Green Jobs to Capital Region

October 9, 2009 -- Today, United States Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the Hudson Valley Community College in Troy will receive $3,497,595 from the Department of Energy. The grant, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), will be used to provide training to the Northeast Solar Workforce Training Project. It is intended to address the critical need in New York for qualified energy system installers.    » read more »

Number of Children with Food Allergies and Number of Severe Allergic Reactions Have Skyrocketed in Recent Years

October 7, 2009 -- Today U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that he will push legislation to address the growing problem of potentially life-threatening allergic reactions in school age children. Schumer said that despite growing numbers of allergic reactions, schools lack resources to train parents, students, faculty and staff in the best way to prevent and treat these incidents. He also said that there are no federal guidelines that detail how schools can address student allergies, which has resulted in neighboring school districts, and even neighboring schools, having different policies with wildly different results.    » read more »

Schumer Calls On Congress To Quickly Pass His Legislation Banning Dangerous Practice

October 4, 2009 -- Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer released a new report showing the severe danger of texting while driving posed to New York City area teenagers. Schumer’s report found that nearly 100 teenagers were killed in the New York City area in just the last five years in accidents where the driver was found to be texting while they were driving.    » read more »

Proposal Would Expand Hardship Waiver To Exempt More Americans From Mandate To Buy Insurance If Affordable Plans Are Not Available

October 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) today offered a major revision to the Senate health care bill in order to exempt a greater number of middle-class Americans from an obligation to purchase health insurance if there are no affordable plans in their area and to prevent any penalty from being imposed on any American who fails to buy insurance in the first year after the overhaul takes effect.    » read more »

Federal Dollars Would Fight Invasive Species, Pollution And Contamination

October 2, 2009 -- Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, joined with their Great Lakes colleagues this week to call for $475 million for the Great Lakes in the combined Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

The Senate version of the legislation only included $400 million, whereas the house version has $475 million. Schumer and Gillibrand are urging the conference committee tasked with combining the bills to approve the higher number. New York shares roughly 700 miles of coastline with the Great Lakes.    » read more »