Every year, Chuck commits to traveling to all62 counties in New York to meet with constituents.
Standing with the Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger and local officials on February 23rd, 2017, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced he successfully pushed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to reimburse Binghamton University over $2,080,000 for damages sustained during Tropical Storm Lee in 2011. Schumer said the flooding caused by the storm nearly destroyed the Center’s basement, causing extensive damage to major electrical and mechanical equipment that support the building’s functions. Schumer explained that FEMA initially approved a total project cost of $3,188,766 in funding for repairs to the Binghamton University Downtown Center. However, following this decision, FEMA then mistakenly deducted $2,778,462 from the federal funding the university received assuming the University would get reimbursed from their private flood insurance provider. However, as a state entity, Binghamton University is self-insured, and under FEMA policy entitled to full federal funding. Even with this information, FEMA still only approved Binghamton University for $410,304, prompting the university to appeal the decision and Schumer to advocate for the school in a letter to the FEMA Administrator.