Charles E. Schumer

As Confirmed Cases of the Virus Continue to Rise, Funding Necessary to Address Budgetary Shortages That Threaten Local, State, and National Response Efforts

May 27, 2009 -- Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced their push to include no less than $350 million in the final Supplemental Appropriations bill to upgrade state and local ability to prepare for and respond to the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus and other potential pandemics.    » read more »

Airline Will Maintain Service Between Ithaca Tompkins And Newark; Service Provides Region With Critical Access To Domestic And International Flights

May 26, 2009 -- United States Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that Continental Airlines has withdrawn their plan to end their daily round-trip flights between Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport and their New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport.

The service is operated by CommutAir as Continental Connection. The change comes after Schumer wrote and called Continental Airlines CEO Larry Kellner, urging him to reverse his decision, and after unprecedented lobbying on the part of community members and the Tompkins County business community.    » read more »

Senator Introduces New Plan To Prevent Layoffs And Recruit More Volunteers; Provision Will Be Included In A Spending Bill Set To Pass In The Senate This Week

May 18, 2009 -- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer joined Senator Chris Dodd in unveiling a new proposal to support volunteer and paid firefighters in the Southern Tier. The current firefighters grant program, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grants, may only be used to hire new, additional career fire fighters. Senator Schumer and Senator Dodd have introduced legislation that changes the SAFER grants program, and allows funds awarded in the next two years to be used to restore or retain current workforce levels despite local budget cuts.    » read more »

Will Strengthen Victim Services and Create Jobs; Department of Justice Awards Funding to Hire and Retain Criminal Justice Personnel to Respond to Violent Crimes Against

May 18, 2009 -- Washington, D.C. -- United States Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced the United States Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will allocate $7,374,913 to New York State under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for the STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program.    » read more »

Broad Array of National, State Groups Support Financial Product Safety Commission Bill

March 10, 2009 -- More than fifty diverse organizations supported legislation introduced today by key Members of Congress to create a new federal agency to ensure the safety, fairness and sustainability of credit and payment products. The legislation would create a new Financial Products Safety Commission to ensure that credit and payment products do not have predatory or deceptive features that can harm consumers or lock them into unaffordable loans.    » read more »

Barack Obama-Backed Bill Would Require All Lobbyists Representing Foreign Clients To Register with the Justice Department, Eliminating Exemption Carved Out By Lobbying Disclosure Act

June 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) today unveiled legislation that would close legal loopholes allowing U.S. lobbyists to influence government officials on behalf of foreign clients without having to disclose their activities.

The issue surfaced last month in the U.S. presidential campaign, as reports spotlighted a trend of lobbying firms performing work for a range of foreign entities without ever registering with the Department of Justice, as is required in most circumstances.    » read more »

June 12, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Barack Obama today joined with Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Claire McCaskill (D-MO) to introduce the Closing the Foreign Lobbying Loophole Act, which would close loopholes that allow American lobbyists, representing foreign clients, to lobby U.S. government officials without disclosing these activities. Obama is an original cosponsor of the bill.    » read more »

State Department of Transportation to Develop New Regulations and Enforcement Policy; Plan Would Improve Quality of Life in Affected Areas

May 12, 2008 -- In response to the dangers posed by scores of trucks hauling non-local solid waste across local rural roads in the Finger Lakes and Central New York, Governor David A. Paterson and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced today that the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT) will institute a new policy intended to keep large trucks, with the exception of local pick-up and delivery vehicles, on the National Interstate Highway System.    » read more »

Issues Include the Federal Farm Bill, Labor Needs, and Economic Development

May 12, 2008 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson and U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today met with more than 100 farmers in Western New York to discuss issues of critical importance to New York's 36,000 farms.

Farms in upstate New York: Photo by Keturah Stickann/John Menier (CC)

Governor Paterson detailed the unprecedented agricultural aid provided in the 2008-2009 enacted state budget during a town hall event that allowed farmers to discuss unique problems they face in this tough economic time.    » read more »

Calls For Tighter SEC Oversight Of Firms; SEC Chairman Cox Acknowledges Investigators Have Uncovered Improper Practices At Ratings Firms

April 22, 2008 -- Report: Moody's Curried Favor With Clients To Inflate Firm's Market Share -- WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) today pressed the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission to crack down on conflict-of-interest violations at the major credit-ratings agencies, which he said conspired to inflate an unsustainable credit bubble. Under questioning by Schumer before the Senate Banking Committee, SEC Chairman Christopher Cox disclosed that the firms disregarded their own internal controls meant to prevent the relationship between the firm and its clients from getting too close.    » read more »

Tainted Heparin Linked To 81 Deaths; Blood Thinner Originating From China Contained Deadly Contaminant

April 22, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC--U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) announced Tuesday he will introduce legislation this week establishing a modern track-and-trace system for all prescription drugs sold in the United States, a move he said would cut down on the contamination of popular patient medicines like the embattled blood thinner, heparin.

Heparin syringe: Photo by flaviab (CC)    » read more »

Senator to Push New GI Bill that Greatly Expands Financial Education Assistance for Returning Veterans

April 2, 2008 -- Current GI Bill isn't Equipped to Handle Wave of Young Returning Soldiers Leaving them Unable to Meet Rising College Costs Averaging Over $17,000 at a Public Institution in NYS - Only 15% of all those Currently Deployed Hold a Bachelor's Degree; Number of Younger Vets Across Upstate NY is Set to Soar: Currently there are 84,000 Vets in the Capital Region, over 74,000 in CNY, over 14    » read more »

Schumer Applauds DHS' Decision to Follow Congressional Mandate that Postpones Passport Requirements for Western New Yorkers Until June 1, 2009

March 31, 2008 -- DHS Recently Announced that the Final Rules on Implementation of WHTI Will Postpone Until June 1, 2009 Any Requirement for Travelers Crossing NYS' Northern Border to Carry a Passport Schumer Pledges to Continue Pushing to Ensure DHS Doesn't Jump the Gun in Implementing an Unreasonable Plan without Adequate Security or Technology Senator Warns Forcing Western New York Residents to Carry Passp    » read more »

February 7, 2008 -- Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer personally spoke with Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson to gain assurances that the owner has every intention of keeping the football franchise in Buffalo for the long-term. Following a press conference in Toronto yesterday where the Bills announced they’ll be playing one regular season home game a year in the Canadian city, there were fears that it was the first step towards permanently moving the team there.    » read more »

Senate Bill Would Mandate HUD Replace All Low Income Housing Scheduled To Be Demolished

January 25, 2008 -- "Like so many Americans, we have followed with grave concern the devastation to Louisiana, Mississippi Alabama, and Texas in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.    » read more »