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Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer unveiled new legislation to close a gaping hole in the federal law that prevents summer camps, children's groups and other notforprofit organizations that work with children from gaining access to federal criminal background checks on new employees and volunteers. Under current law, most children's organizations only have access to the New York State database, and lack access to FBI databases, which are widely considered the most accurate and complete... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and Congressman Tim Bishop today urged the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) to move forward with all efforts that would curb helicopter noise along the South Shore of Long Island, over northern Nassau County and past the North Fork, now that a federal court has upheld the FAA's authority to require helicopters follow a prescribed route over the water. For years, Schumer and Bishop have worked with officials at the FAA, New York metropolitan area helicopter... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today urged the Federal Department of Transportation's (DOT) - in cooperation with the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate the spate of heatrelated incidents on the region's transit systems, including Amtrak, MetroNorth Railroad, the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and New York City's subways. This past week, throughout New York's heat wave, there were a number of major issues along rail lines in the... Read More

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $525,000 in Affordable Care Act funding for the Long Island Federally Qualified Health Center (LIFQHC).  The funding will help support LIFQHC's primary care residency program and train residents during the 20132014 academic year.   "Ensuring that we have capable physicians at Long Island's medical centers is essential to providing quality health care in the region," said Schumer. "This federal funding will help train... Read More

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer, Lindsey Graham and a bipartisan group of Senators announced their support for an updated medial shield bill that would codify into law and expand upon the recentlyannounced Department of Justice media guidelines. In addition to supporting the original legislation that offers legal protections to journalists engaged in newsgathering activities, the senators said that they would seek to prevent future administrations from rolling back the... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced that, after his request to expand bicycle service on its regional rail lines, Amtrak will test a 'Bring Your Bike on Board' demo program on Amtrak's  Ethan Allen Line in midtolate July. Last month, Schumer joined State Senators Betty Little and Brad Hoylman and pushed Amtrak to make modifications for carryon bike service or include speciallyfitted café cars on their  Adirondack and  Ethan Allen line in order to better connect downstate riders with... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that New York State will be a participant in the USDA Greek Yogurt Pilot Program that Schumer originally petitioned the USDA to create in June 2012. The USDA has released a solicitation today, July 8 th, to purchase Greek yogurt for delivery to participating schools in the upcoming School Year. According to the USDA, schools in four states, New York, Tennessee, Idaho, and Arizona will be participating in the program. Schumer noted that New York's... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged the U.S. Coast Guard to update their oil spill contingency plan to include specifics for the Hudson River, and to do so ahead of their current timeline. Schumer's push comes in response to an  Albany  Times Union report about a nearenvironmental catastrophe that occurred last winter in which an oil tanker carrying over 12 million gallons of crude oil ran aground and ruptured its hull. While no oil was spilled after the ship ran aground, the  Times... Read More

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $11,878,338 of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding to reimburse the Town of North Hempstead for the costs it incurred in the wake of Superstorm Sandy removing dangerous debris from public spaces, including rightof ways, parks, grounds of public buildings, parking lots and public cemeteries.  "Superstorm Sandy wreaked significant damage throughout the Town of North Hempstead, creating a massive cleanup effort,"... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged Dept. of Homeland Security to approve grant funding for the Port of Oswego to bolster port security through the purchase of four additional security cameras. Schumer joined the City of Oswego Police Dept., the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Border Patrol in pushing for funding from the Port Security Grant Program (PSGP), which would make the Port of Oswego a security hub for federal law enforcement officials. The Port of Oswego is a bustling... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced his push to boost the economic benefits of hunting in Upstate New York and then donating game, like deer and turkey, to antihunger programs. Specifically, Schumer will introduce bipartisan legislation that will allow hunters to take a tax deduction for the cost of processing their venison, when the final product is donated.  The legislation will also provide a tax benefit to processors who participate in venison donation programs by making all... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will receive approximately $6,736,500 in federal aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  The funds are reimbursements for immediate repairs the NY DEC made after Superstorm Sandy struck to clean up oil spills.   "The damage to homeowners' fuel systems caused by Superstorm Sandy turned far too many backyards into toxic waste sites, and without this very... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer urged the Army to protect the 10 th Mountain Division's three Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) headquartered at Ft. Drum, if brigade cuts are necessary. The Army, per the 2020 Force Structure Realignment, is expected to cut between 8 and 10 BCTs by the end of FY2017, as reported by the  Watertown Daily Times, and will announce which installations will lose BCTs later this month. Three of the four BCTs of the 10 thMountain Division are stationed at Ft.... Read More

Today, at the CulDeSac of Hill Street in Middletown, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer joined neighbors and local officials to call on Regional Rail LLC to immediately find a nonresidential area to park idling trains that sit for hours behind a residential neighborhood and emit noxious fumes and smoke that permeate homes and yards.  According to neighborhood residents and Middletown Mayor DeStefano, there are Middletown & New Jersey Railroad freight cars, owned by Regional Rail LLC, that sit... Read More

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand announced that the Village of Morris has received a Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant for a total of $2,475,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Rural Development's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program. The funding will be used for several water management projects, including construction of a new water storage tank that will replace the existing 130 year old tank. In addition, Morris will replace aging... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the Senate has passed the Farm Bill with overwhelming bipartisan support, 66 - 27, and called on the House of Representatives to do the same. Schumer detailed several major areas in which the farm bill will be a major boost to fruit and vegetable farmers that have suffered over the last few years in the wake of record flooding and devastating frosts. In particular, Schumer said that grant programs and changes to the way farmers create and... Read More

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand announced that the Village of Deferiet has received a Water and Waste Disposal Grant for $622,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Rural Development's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program. The funding will be used to provide a new transmission line between the Villages of Deferiet and nearby Herrings, and will make distribution system improvements in both villages, including the addition of several new fire... Read More

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand today announced over $1 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for Superstorm Sandyrelated repairs to street lighting along the Coney Island Boardwalk.   "Coney Island's muchloved boardwalk was seriously damaged by Superstorm Sandy, including its lighting system," said Schumer. "This federal funding will get the lights back on, just in time for summer, and make sure that New York City residents are not on the hook... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today reintroduced legislation that will make it a federal crime to tamper with the unique identification number of a cell phone by imposing a five year criminal penalty. Last year, Schumer, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a new effort along with major cell phone carriers that would create a stolen cell phone registry to track unique cell phone identification numbers. The International Mobile... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that Samuelsohn, a highend Canadian suit maker, is in negotiations to purchase Hickey Freeman, with plans to bring new lines of business to the Rochester facility, preserving jobs, and potentially adding new ones, in Rochester. Schumer has spoken with Stephen Granovsky coowner and CEO of Montrealbased Samuelsohn, and after investigating their plans highlighted that this highlysuccessful and rapidlygrowing company could bring more stability and... Read More