Newsroom

WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced Thursday that he has reached an agreement with the top four rental car companies in the U.S. to stop the renting or selling of vehicles that have been recalled by their manufacturer.   Under the agreement, rental car companies Enterprise/National/Alamo, Hertz/Advantage, Avis/Budget, and Dollar/Thrifty, as well as the American Car Rental Association, have all endorsed new legislation authored by Senator Schumer and his colleagues Barbara... Read More

Today, overlooking Onondaga Creek, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on both the federal and NYS Department of Transportations to allow the City of Syracuse to keep a total of $1.2 million in federal infrastructure funding in Syracuse, that would otherwise be revoked at the end of this year under a recent Administration decision. Specifically, Schumer is urging that this unused federal funding be directed to the removal of three abandoned Jefferson Railroad Bridges over the Creek and other... Read More

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced a federal grant worth $70,000 for the Hudson Valley Regional Council. The investment comes through the U.S. Economic Development Agency, and will be used to support the publicprivate partnership to strengthen the Hudson Valley's economy. "The bottom line is that the federal government should do everything it can to support economic development and get people back to work," said  Senator Schumer. "The work... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to persuade the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) to finalize an agreement with American Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to establish prescreening of trucks and cargo on the Canadian side of the border. Moving the screening of trucks to the Canadian side of the border would clear the way for a new plaza, that would facilitate increased commerce and international tourism. It would also significantly reduce... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the Federal Aviation Administration to speed up the approval of the Onondaga Sheriff's office's request for an FAA commuter charter license for its Air1 helicopter. The Sheriff's office has applied for an FAA license, which would allow the chopper to charge for its flights, thus relieving local taxpayers of the heavy operating costs. The County legislature is expected to vote on funding levels for the helicopter when it considers its budget for... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation is set to receive $58,000 in US Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Program, for infrastructure upgrades in Genesee Valley AgriBusiness Park at the site for Alpina Foods. Alpina Foods is a dairy products company, and recently began work to construct its first U.S. yogurt plant in Batavia. Specifically, this investment will fund site preparation for the new yogurt plant by extending... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to put in place clear standards for imported fruit and vegetable juice concentrates and step up inspection of concentrates from countries that use toxic, inorganic arsenic in their pesticides, or with high levels of environmental contaminants. Schumer pointed out that, although serious questions exist over the methodology used by a daytime talk show last week that covered the subject of arsenic in apple juice,... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to direct the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to conduct an Economic Impact Statement for New York following Tropical Storms Irene & Lee. The two agencies would work together with local officials to gather a comprehensive overview of the damage from the storms, prioritize rebuilding projects and map out a road to recovery, and help identify potential streams of federal funding to help... Read More

United States Senator Charles E. Schumer, today, called on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director Lisa Jackson to have the agency take the lead role for the cleanup of the toxic Bethpage chemical plume that threatens over 20 additional public drinking wells that serve over 250,000 Nassau County residents in the Massapequa, Bethpage, and South Farmingdale Water Districts. The slowness of the response on the part of the Navy to contain and remediate the toxic plume put local projections... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the National Institute of Justice has awarded four grants totaling $775,000 to Odyssey Research Associates in Ithaca under the Electronic Crime and Digital Evidence Recovery Program. These funds will enable Odyssey Research to improve the tools and technology needed to retrieve forensic evidence in an accurate, accessible and efficient manner. Odyssey Research Associates in Ithaca is a subsidiary of the Architecture Technology Corporation, and... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to expedite the approval of a $5 million federal emergency loan to Superior Pack Group in Harriman, so that the company is not forced to lay off hundreds of employees. Tropical storm Irene ripped a hole through the company's packaging plant and damaged its equipment, completely stopping its operations. Superior Pack Group, which provides packaging, fulfillment, warehousing and inventory management services... Read More

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded individual assistance to Schenectady County. Schumer and Gillibrand said that this was an important first step in making sure that these counties get the help they needs to recover from Tropical Storm Lee.   "I called Administrator Fugate to tell him that FEMA needs to work hand in glove with state and local leaders to make sure Schenectady County residents and... Read More

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded individual assistance to Herkimer County residents, and public assistance to local governments in Franklin, Hamilton, and Herkimer Counties. Schumer and Gillibrand said that this was an important first step in making sure that these counties get the help they needs to recover from Irene. "I called Administrator Fugate to tell him that FEMA needs to work hand... Read More

Today U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (DNY) announced legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to the Montford Point Marines, the first African Americans to serve in the United States Marine Corps. Included among the distinguished members of the group, is former New York City Mayor David Dinkins. The Congressional Gold Medal, along with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, is the highest civilian award in the United States. Schumer said that this award would finally recognize the historic... Read More

Washington, D.C. Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that Elmira Corning Regional Airport is set to receive $8,556,627 in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) funds to extend the runway and parallel taxiway at the airport.   "This is great news for the passengers and pilots that fly in and out of Elmira Corning Regional Airport every day," said Schumer. "With this investment, Elmira Corning airport will make runway and taxiway renovations that will... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer visited Amsterdam to get a firsthand look at the flood damage from the most recent tropical storm to hit Montgomery County, which comes on the heels of Hurricane Irene's destruction in the region. Schumer toured homes and businesses that have been severely damaged by the storms, such as Russo's Restaurant, and also made stops at the historic Guy Park Manor which has partially collapsed into the river, and Erie Canal Lock 11. During a tour of the damage,... Read More

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer visited Whitesboro to get a firsthand look at the flood damage from the most recent tropical storm to hit the Utica region. Schumer toured Sauquoit Street in the village as well as damaged homes in the area, alongside Whitesboro Mayor Brenda Gilberti, Utica Mayor David Roefaro, Oneida County Executive Picente and county emergency management personnel. During a tour of the damage, Schumer spoke with local officials about the federal government's assistance... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that he successfully fought to include an important provision in the Flood Insurance Reauthorization and Modernization Act of 2011, which passed a key procedural hurdle in the U.S. Senate. Schumer's provision would require the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to remake their existing flawed flood maps that failed to use Nassauspecific data during major map changes put in place in late 2009. Flood zones affected by the Jamaica Bay flood... Read More

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that Saratoga County Airport is set to receive $199,494 in U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) funds for airport facility upgrades. Specifically, the grant will allow the airport to design an apron, where aircraft are parked, boarded and fueled, with improved structural integrity. Also, the funding will allow for the design of a new runway visual guidance system that will make the airport more accessible to pilots by... Read More

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded Sullivan County public assistance to help rebuild and repair infrastructure damaged by Irene. After this type of assistance was not made available in the President's initial emergency declaration, Senator Schumer immediately called for Sullivan County to be added to the list of eligible counties, in a personal phone call with Administrator Fugate. The county is now eligible for... Read More