Newsroom

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the City of Troy was awarded a $299,148 Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program (Arrest) Grant from the Department of Justice. Specifically, the city will partner with Unity House of Troy, Inc. and Rensselaer County Probation and use this funding to encourage arrests, enforce orders of protection, and increase victim safety. This project will enhance the policies and procedures related to... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today requested an immediate status update of the study currently being conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on the policy to reimburse the cost of service dogs to veterans who have PostTraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  Service dogs are often recommended by doctors to veterans with PTSD because they have been shown to have a positive psychological impact on recovery.  Last year, the VA ended its policy of reimbursement to veterans with strictly... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that he has made an appeal to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement new measures that would help alleviate incredibly long lines for travelers using customs at John F. Kennedy International Airport.  A recent report revealed that customs at JFK Airport was home to the longest wait times in the country, with the average delay during peak hours this August exceeding two hours.  In a personal call, Schumer asked Acting DHS Secretary... Read More

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that Greater Rochester International Airport is set to receive a $1,448,112 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant for airport facility upgrades. Specifically, the funding will be used to rehabilitate the apron on taxiway C, where aircraft are loaded and unloaded, boarded, parked and refueled.      "This Department of Transportation grant will ensure that Greater Rochester International Airport can continue to safely... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take dramatic and immediate measures to ensure the safety of chickens processed in China and sold in the United States.  A new Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule will, for the first time, soon allow chickens raised in the United States to be processed at four plants in mainland China and then sold to U.S. consumers.  Schumer said that while the plants and processing methods have been deemed initially... Read More

Today, at Lindsay Drug Company in Troy, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to expeditiously amend and approve regulations that would finally allow pharmacies and community organizations the opportunity to host community prescription drug takeback events.  Schumer also asked the DEA to establish a "buyback" program so that federal funds can be used to incentivize people to return their prescription drugs, to increase the takeback events' effectiveness. The... Read More

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that Griffiss International Airport is set to receive a $449,100 U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant for airport facility upgrades. Specifically, this funding will allow Griffiss to install edge lighting on taxiway K and enhance airport safety by providing adequate lighting. Schumer and Gillibrand applaud DOT for their work to increase safety at all airports.   "I am pleased to add this federal investment to the... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer visited McCadam Farms in Franklin County to announce his twopronged plan to first defend, and second to grow, Upstate New York cheese production. Specifically, Schumer is urging United States Trade Representative Froman and Secretary Vilsack to defend U.S. cheese producers in trade negotiations with the European Union (EU), which is staking a regional claim on common cheese names like "muenster", "parmesan" and "feta"-much like champagne. Through free trade... Read More

After a personal call to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Administrator Rogoff, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the FTA has agreed to grandfatherin new regulations that will save an estimated 50 jobs at Penn Yan bus manufacturer Coach & Equipment.  Coach & Equipment is a small bus manufacturer that had nearly doubled the size of its union manufacturing workforce this year by hiring 40 additional fulltime workers in order to meet the demand of new bus orders... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer personally called the new chair of the Public Service Commission (PSC), Aubrey Zibelman, to urge the PSC to adopt a plan to repower the aging coalfired Dunkirk NRG Plant into a natural gaspowered plant, which is the cleaner energy option, protects taxpayers and will create hundreds of construction jobs. Zibelman's chairmanship was effective as of Tuesday, September 3rd, and Schumer called to make clear that the repowering of the NRG plant should be a top... Read More

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced a $4,038,230 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) from the Department of Justice that will focus on making New York City safer. This investment will support a range of program areas including prosecution initiatives to target violent offenders, crime prevention and education efforts, drug treatment and alternatives to incarceration, crime victim and witness support, and planning, evaluation and technology... Read More

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that a $468,259 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant will be awarded to Binghamton University. The Senators announced that the federal grant will fund the study of advanced datatransfer techniques and technology, including the encryption of data migration, to make cloud computing and large data centers more efficient and secure.   "Binghamton University is a hub for nationallyrecognized technology research and this grant... Read More

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that $5,169,399 in federal funding is being awarded to the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) to complete noise mitigation measures on 187 homes near the BuffaloNiagara International Airport. The funding is allocated through the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program.   In 2007, the FAA and Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA)... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer visited Lockheed Martin Owego employees and executives to vow his continued support for this major regional employer, which provides topnotch aircraft for our nation's military and is an anchor for the local economy. Specifically, Schumer focused his push on preserving planned defense contracts between the Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin team and the U.S. Military in order to defend the 2,700 employees in Owego and promote the potential for expansion. One such... Read More

On the heels of Powassan Encephalitis, an often fatal tickborne illness, being found in Hudson Valley ticks, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to immediately allocate resources towards the study, prevention and treatment of the emerging Powassan virus threat. Schumer also announced his support for federal legislation to direct more resources and attention towards fighting back against the growing problem of other tickborne illnesses like Lyme... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that Elizabeth Wolford was confirmed by the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously by voice vote to serve as a judge in the Western District federal court. Her nomination to the federal bench now moves to the full Senate. Ms. Wolford is a historymaking pick, as she would be the first woman to serve on the federal bench in this district, and she would take the seat left vacant when District Court Judge Charles Siragusa took senior status in... Read More

United States Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that, after his push, the U.S. Coast Guard will replace the main navigational light tower at the end of the rocky jetty at Jones Inlet that was destroyed by Superstorm Sandy in a highly expedited fashion. Originally, the Army Corps and Coast Guard hadn't been slated to start the work until next year, but after Schumer's request, they will begin the work this summer.  Jones Inlet connects the Atlantic Ocean to numerous communities along the... Read More

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has awarded a $394,200 federal grant to the Town of Erwin Industrial Development Agency for improvements at Corning Painted Post Airport. Specifically, this investment from the FAA via the Airport Improvement Program will allow Corning Painted Post Airport to construct an apron that is needed to provide aircraft parking at the airport. This phase of the project will provide for... Read More

New York, NY - U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today revealed that major national retailers are increasingly using sophisticated monitoring software to track every movement shoppers make while in their stores, and then often times save that data in perpetuity.  The technology allows shoppers to be tracked, moment by moment, through signals put out through their smart phones, allowing a retailer to learn in what part of the store they spent time in, what products they've considered buying, and... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged that the federal Department of Education (DOE) accept the application from Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) for a federal grant which has been rejected in error. MVCC is applying for a Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) grant, which would help fund oncampus child care for adult community college learners. However, MVCC was rejected because the DOE database did not record that MVCC is an approved institution under its System for... Read More